001Okay, good evening everyone. I'm Lee Bolman and I'm the proud principal of Burlington High School. It's truly an honor to stand here before you tonight as we celebrate an outstanding group of young people, the class of 2026. We gather to recognize not only the academic achievements, but it also represents the support of you, the families, teachers, mentors, friends, and anyone who has encouraged these students every step of the way. Thank you all for being here tonight to honor our seniors and for the vital role you have played in their journey. Before I turn it over to Mrs. Bolman, um I would just like to thank this senior class um welcoming in a our first year principal and the some of the changes that we've made this year to the building and even the ones for
002next year, the amount of feedback and responses that I've gotten from this group uh throughout the year on how to change So, that's all I have. Thank you very much. Bring them up. The staff votes on these awards. The Kansas Masonic Lodge Citizenship students are Corinne Bolman and Alex Matz. >> [applause] [applause] >> Our gift scholarships are for some students who are going to attend Flint Hills Technical College next year, and Troy Hopperman will be here to present. First off, I'd like to congratulate you on pronouncing my name correctly. >> [laughter] >> That is That is stellar. Thank you so much. I am Troy Hopperman from Flint Hills Technical College, and I'm honored to be here. I want to congratulate all of you on what an accomplishment it is to finish your high school career,
003and I wish you the greatest success moving forward. I have three students who have chosen to continue their education with Flint Hills Technical College. I'd like to recognize them and present scholarships to them. Okay, so if we could bring up Laque- see I congratulate her on saying my name right and I just butchered that one. Laqueisha Johnson who has been awarded the Jones Success Scholarship for $1,000. Uh Bowlin McIntosh who is also receiving the Jones Success Scholarship for $1,000. And the Floyd Lewis Foundation Scholarship for another $1,000. And finally Jacqueline Smith the Jones Success Scholarship for $1,000 and the Non-Traditional Career Endowed Scholarship for $400. >> [applause] [applause] >> We're going to give away well over $100,000 in scholarships tonight and we want to thank all of the local scholarship sponsors for their generosity to
004our students. Our first scholarship will be presented by Michael and Julie Luthi, the FCS Manufacturing Scholarship. Yes, on behalf of FCS Manufacturing, we'd like to congratulate the class of 2026. And we are pleased to present Kaiser Lehman with a $1,000 scholarship. >> [applause] [applause] >> Next we have Mark and Carol Harris. They're going to give the Ducks Unlimited John Redmond Chapter Scholarship. They might not be here. She was sick earlier this week. Okay, I'll do it. It is $250 and it goes to Cohen Hazen. >> [applause] [applause] >> Anita Cummings will now present the Kansas JCI Senate Foundation Scholarship. Hi, my name is Anita Cummings and I am a Kansas JCI Senator number 69380. We give out scholarships every year and the winner for this year um he exemplifies um community leadership and uh it
005is Jake Lizer. He will be getting a check for $750. He's going to be attending our um 55th anniversary banquet this coming Saturday and he'll will receiving his certificate and his check there, but we wanted to recognize him tonight. So, >> [applause] [applause] >> Next we have the Love Big Like Nate Scholarship Memorial Scholarship. Steven and Sarah Cunningham will present. Sorry, it's a little emotional here. Um my family started a Love Big Like Nate um in memory of our son Nate and the way that he loved people. Um our scholarship this year um is Ben Maddie uh who of course is a well, he's my cousin's son, but he's really my nephew um and he definitely looked up to Nate like a big brother and Nate felt the same way uh about him as well.
006Um well, he was always watching out for Ben or choking him out, whichever. So, um so this scholarship um it's about heart and character and we think that Ben reflects that so well and Ben we're just really proud of you. So, >> [applause] [applause] >> And this scholarship is a $750 scholarship. >> [applause] >> Next, Mrs. Acton will present the student leadership team scholarship. Um each year we give out a scholarship for the student leadership team president, and this year the president of our student council is Hattie Bergdoll in the amount of $250. >> [applause] [applause] >> BHS sponsors two blood drives each year, and this year collected a total of 75 pints of blood, saving more than 225 lives. To acknowledge the seniors who organized the blood drives, the Community Blood Center would like
007to award two scholarships in the amount of $250 to Hattie Bergdoll and Addison Slatzer. >> [applause] [applause] >> Yvonne Newton will now present some 4-H scholarships. >> I am honored to present several scholarships this evening to one of our outstanding senior 4-H members. This young man has been um Liberty 4-H um and a wonderful representative to um Coffee County uh 4-H