On Tuesday, April 27, Ste. Genevieve High School celebrated its students’ academic honors for the 2021-2022 school year at the 32nd annual Dan Clark Honors Ceremony at the Performing Arts Center.
At this year’s event, senior Thomas Elder gave the invocation. A state qualifying saxophone quartet—which included senior Molly Bell, sophomore Aden Eisenbeis, senior Gracie Heob and senior Nathan St. Clair—performed “Prelude and Fugue in D Minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach.
The guest speaker for the evening was introduced, Mrs. Emily Wilkerson (Huelskamp), a 2005 alumna of Ste. Genevieve High school, and a highly decorated rower. Emily graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois in 2009 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Applied Health Science. She went on to attend Boston University, graduating in 2010 with an MEd. in Counseling with a concentration in Sport Psychology. Emily’s rowing career launched in college, where she made the decision that this sport was going to be her priority. Being able to devote her focus and attention to her team and to improving in her sport paid off. In 2013, Emily won a gold medal in the women’s four at the World Championships in South Korea. In 2015, she earned a gold medal in women’s pair at the Pan Am Games held in Toronto. In 2016, she was on a women’s eight team that won the Remenham Cup at Royal Henley Regatta. Also at the World Championships in 2016 in Rotterdam, Emily was on a women’s four team that won a silver medal. At the 2019 World Championships held in Austria, Emily’s women’s quad qualified their boat for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Emily currently works as a Mental Performance Coach at Louisiana Tech University and is the owner of Second Round Bakery.
She spoke to students about finding their own priorities and balancing them with other aspects of their lives. She pointed out that once you decide your priority, life gets easy, because you can completely embrace your path. “Your priority has the potential to push you further than expected,” she said. “And don’t let anything, including who you are at the present, dictate what you will become.”
Each summer, many Ste. Genevieve High School students are chosen to represent our district at leadership conferences throughout the state of Missouri. The following students were recognized at the ceremony for being chosen to represent our school at the following conferences, and were sponsored by the following organizations and individuals:
Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership: sophomore Penny Yang, the GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve
Missouri Boys State: senior Mason Gegg, junior Braden Huck, junior Collin Abt, junior Collin Fritsch, senior Frederick Brewer, the American Legion Post 150
Missouri Girls State: junior Jillian Gegg, the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary
Missouri Leadership Seminar: sophomore Sara Bone, the GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve
Missouri Scholars Academy: sophomore Cole Nickelson, Ste. Genevieve Vision Care
Rotary Youth Leadership Award: sophomore Kate Mesplay, the Ste. Genevieve Rotary
Sophomore Pilgrimage: sophomore Bryant Schwent, the GFWC Woman’s Club of Ste. Genevieve
Citizens Electric Youth Tour: Madeleine Terry, Citizens Electric
This was followed by a presentation by Mr. Tyson Schaffner, with the Patched Overalls Experience, a project that offers one student each year the opportunity to fulfill a dream experience between their junior and senior year. This year, Mr. Schaffner shared that a senior was also chosen for this opportunity, as the current seniors were unable to participate last year. He first introduced junior Lindsey Crump, who plans to visit Big Horn Basin in Montana and spend 10 days at an archaeological dig site searching for dinosaur bones. He then introduced senior Christian Kiefer, who shared that he wanted to participate in a hospital shadowing experience overseas. Christian planned a trip to Croatia, which fell through, and then planned a back-up trip to Tanzania, which also fell through. The organization that had offered these trips had gone bankrupt, and Christian was left with uncertainties and no clear way forward. He is still actively searching for a program or journey that will benefit him in ways that will positively impact who he is as a person. Christian shared that from this experience, he learned that things are not always in our control, and we have to move forward and adapt to new opportunities.
Each year at the banquet, the students in the top 10 percent of each class are recognized. Following the class honors, one student is awarded for his or her performance for each course offered at the high school. Congratulations to all of the students on their recognitions!
Top 10% of Class:
Freshmen:
Abby Boyer
Kennedy Buatte
Kale Clements
Shay Coleman
Damian Dickerson
Sophia Fritsch
Ava Greer
Sadie Greminger
Kailynn Harmon
Sophia Huck
Olivia Klump
Jeremiah Kunz
Joleigh Parker
Jayden Rickman
Mallory Rottler
Lucy Sears
Bennett Walls
Lexi Warren
Sophomores:
Sophia DeRousse
Charles Drost IV
Addison Geiler
Alissa Grass
Caitlin Gray
Tessa Hager
Hawthorne Jokerst
Dalton McBride
Cole Nickelson
Elaina Schemel
Hope Schmelzle
Bryant Schwent
Penny Yang
Juniors:
Alli Byington
Ariella Taylor
Brynna Wehner
Collin Fritsch
Dru Koetting
Jacob Johns
Jamison Kemper
Jillian Gegg
Lani Yamnitz
Lindsey Crump
Madeleine Terry
Miranda Ponder
Seniors:
Casey Ayers
Peyton Bequette
Jessica Brown
Kylee Clayton
Kaylee Forhan
Serena Garcia
Mason Gegg
Paige Huck
Finnegan Jokerst
Christian Kiefer
Russell Kirkhuff
Lily Lueken
Andrew Miget
Abigail Moore
Kali Schweigert
Each of the following students (listed alphabetically by surname) earned a medal for outstanding academic achievement in his or her individual class:
Brianna Abt — Girls Physical Education
Lilly Adams — Chorale
Hannah Ahrens — Health
Paul Ahrens — Mythology
Wes Basler — Broadcasting
Clinton Beasley — Boys Physical Education
Emma Beauchamp — Advanced Chemistry, Nutrition & Wellness
Peyton Bequette — Contemporary Issues, German IV
Hannah Bley — Organic Chemistry
Collin Bova-Alford — Agricultural Construction, Perryville Area Career and Technology Center - Construction Technology II
Emma Breeden — American Government
Samuel Brewer — Website Design
Jessica Brown — Computer Programming
Kennedy Buatte — English I, World History
Kylee Clayton — Personal Finance, Sociology
Kale Clements — Integrated Science
Faith Dailey — Treble Choir
Dayton Decker — Animal Science
Haley DiMercurio — Cadet Teaching
Charles Drost, IV — Chemistry
Hayley Dutton — Child Development
Thomas Elder — Modern America
Kaylee Forhan — French V
Collin Fritsch — Introduction to Applications, Introduction to Business, Pre Calculus
Sophia Fritsch — Agricultural Science I, French II
Serena Garcia — Spanish V
Grace Gegg — Yearbook
Jillian Gegg — Agricultural Science II, Trigonometry
Mason Gegg — Accounting I, College Algebra
Alissa Grass — Algebra II
Tessa Grass — Spanish III
Caitlin Gray — Spanish II
Ava Greer — CP Biology
Amelia Grein — Biology
Elizabeth Haas — Film Comp
Cody Hoehn — Fish & Wildlife Management
Gracie Heob — Jazz Band
William Hogenmiller — Integrated Math III, Perryville Area Career and Technology Center - Construction Technology I
Braden Huck — Engineering Graphics
Gavin Huck — World Foods
Paige M. Huck — Computer Applications
Ricky Hunter — Spanish IV
Braxton Joggerst — Automotive Service Technology I
Hawthorne Jokerst — CP English II, French III
Maria Kemper — Drawing, Multimedia — Media Production
Jacob Kirchner — Band, Music Theory
Averi Koch — Ceramics
Jeremiah Kunz — Competitive Speech, Debate & Theatre
Caitlin Ladd — English IV
Ellie Lalumondiere — English II
Faith Lincoln — College Algebra with Applications
Lily Lueken — Accounting II, Business Technology I, Statistical Reasoning
Dalton McBride — Introduction to Industrial Technology
Drew Merriman — German I
Kate Mesplay — CP American Government, Creative Writing
Andrew Miget — Calculus, CP English IV, Physics, Western Civilization
Abigail Moore — Psychology
Maggie Myracle — Painting
Hannah Naeger — Sculpture
Drew Newman — Journalism
Mason Nix — Industrial Woods
Thomas O’Brien — Guitar II
Adam Oder — Integrated Math II
Taylor Parson — English III
Miranda Ponder — German III
Dezirae Powell, Media Literacy
Xanna Powell — Algebra I, German II
Dale Propst — Fundamentals of Music
Jessica Rayfield — Landscaping
Steven Reece — Multimedia — Video Production, Physical SEL
Jayden Rickman — French I
Dalan Roth — Advanced Industrial Woods, Multimedia — Photoshop
Mason Ruch — Economics
Elaina Schemel — Family & Consumer Sciences I
Ryan Schmelzle — Automotive Service Technology II
Alauna Schmidt — American History
Matthew Schmidt — Earth Science
Lucy Sears — Geometry
Wyatt Springkamper — Body Conditioning
Klayton Squires — Electricity/Electronics, Power Mechanics Technology
Arie Taylor — Advanced Biology, CP English III
Madeleine Terry — CP American History, French IV, Public Speaking
Renee Vogt — Fundamentals of Art
Lena Wallman — Adaptive Physical Education
Bennett Walls — Guitar I, Spanish I
Chloe Walker — Foods, General, Forensic Analysis
Grant Weiler — Design Studies
Damien Wheeler — Team Sports
Deondre’ Wilson — Show Choir
Cameron Wolf — ACT Prep
Mallory Wolk — Physiology & Anatomy
Dr. Boyd shared a special thank you to the following for their role in the event:
the sponsors of the 32nd Annual Dan Clark Honors Ceremony: presentation partner Mississippi Lime; Platinum Level sponsors Holcim, Inc. and Lhoist North America; Gold Level sponsor Bloomsdale Excavating, Inc.;
the Ste. Genevieve Elks Lodge for their readiness to host and their flexibility;
Shelly Dallas, Lori Dunn, Brandy Henderson, and Stephanie Brumfield for their hard work and dedication they provide to the students and staff;
program assistants Mariah Abt, Meagen Jarvis, Tessa Wright;
and the SGHS faculty who do an exceptional job in making the ceremony possible.
In closing, Dr. Boyd celebrated the amazing performance of the 2022 Scholar Bowl Team! The SG Varsity Scholar Bowl team clinched the MAAA Scholar Bowl Conference Championship, performed amazingly well at the district tournament and finished their amazing season as one of the top 8 teams in the state! Congratulations also to Kaylee Forhan for being named the #1 All-District Medalist!
The evening closed with a poem written by SGHS sophomore Penny Yang. Penny is a published author, and Dr. Boyd read one of her published poems, “Book of Life” from her book, “the teenage mind: Poetry Collection”. He talked about how the poem made him consider how the chapters in his personal book of life are dedicated to the students who have had a profound impact. He shared that he hoped that all in attendance would take some time in the coming days to think about our own books of life, and the chapters that would be included, and those who have had a profound impact on each of us.