2021 Soaring Eagle Awards

001[Music] [Applause] [Music] all right we'll go ahead and get started if we can quiet down please thank you if we can go ahead and quiet down we'll go ahead and get started thanks for joining us it's great to have some people back in the building it's great to have the students back it's great to have some a crowd as well uh we're still going to try to observe some of our our safety features as the teacher or the staff member comes up to the podium i have told them they can't take out their mask to make it a little more clear so you could hear the speech uh but welcome to our eighth annual soaring eagle award this award was created to have our staff help help our staff recognize outstanding students not just for

002academics we have plenty of banquets and ceremonies for straight a's on a roll pencil or those banquets this is something this student has stood out in this teach this particular teacher's eyes it could be for their leadership it could be for their character it could be for the relationship they've developed in class it could be for how much they've grown since the beginning of the year or some of our some of our staff members have students over a couple years how much they've grown in that time so again the other award ceremonies are fantastic but it's not very often that i'm at those ceremonies and sometimes a tear comes to people's eye that's what makes this banquet a little this ceremony a little bit different um some of the staff members will come up and

003they'll read the whole thing and at the end we'll we'll reveal the name okay so listen see if they're identifying your child possibly and play along you have a list of who's a candidate we are doing it a little bit different again as well so this year the staff member will come up in the past the the student has come up and joined them at the podium this time we're asking them just to stand at their chair when they're done both will go to the back their medallions are in the back the student will pick it up they're going to go out to the cafeteria for a second they're going to take a picture michelle horn is going to take a picture of the two of them together you will get a copy of the

004speech you will get a copy of the picture and it'll all be sent home to you at a later time in the next couple weeks so the pictures will be taken care of you will also get the speech and it's a nice memento of the evening so if you're ready we're going to go ahead and begin miss shellhorn you are first good evening i'm krista shellhorn i am the media specialist here at the high school kind caring determined driven intelligent detail oriented the words that i can use to describe my soaring eagle could continue on like this for another five minutes but you get the idea at first glance someone might underestimate my soaring eagle because she goes about her business with a quiet confidence that few her age possess she does not need to

005bang a loud drum to announce her presence in class because her work ethic and the quality of the work she produces speaks volumes for her what i've come to learn over the last two years is that this is how emily chase lives her life outside of the classroom as well emily is the president of the senior class and editor for the school yearbook vice president of national honor society president of the fha and is also editor for the key club somehow in the midst of the craziest years of all of our lives emily's been able to juggle all of this with a smile and maturity that i know i did not possess at her age instead of allowing this year to break her spirit emily did what she does best she worked hard smiled through

006the bad days and probably made a tick tock or two along the way emily's off to college next year where i have no doubt that she will leave her mark just as she has at columbia high school thank you for the last two years emily you've definitely left your mark on me good evening so i kind of had to give mine away i had to make a decision am i going to show my face the whole time or am i going to show my soaring eagles so i decided to show my story and eagles for sure so madison you can stand if you want um or there you go all right so i'm proud to read the following about my soaring eagle pick for this school year throughout all of the challenges the last year

007has brought to the school environment my soaring eagle has never once complained about being remote being in person doing work on a chromebook doing work in class or anything the person's work is always done on time and always done to a very high standard i have no doubt this person is going to go on to do big things after high school and college not only are they a hard worker they're also a good person always coming to class with a smile and a good morning how are you which is very much appreciated appreciated i'm excited to see how well that madison does in ap german next year i am proud to recognize my soaring eagle madison ebner and madison we're going to get a picture later at the end okay congratulations all right good evening

008my name is pat baker i'm a health and pe teacher here at columbia high school my nomination for soaring eel for the 2021 school year is sophomore cody tudor cody was part of our fifth hour health class during the first semester and is also a member of our football program cody was also always an enthusiastic contributor to our class and as he was a student who drove the conversation during our class in this time of covid where students contributing to class conversation is harder than ever cody went out of his way to contribute and ask questions as a teacher i really appreciate cody's effort to be a leader and a learner in our class cody is also a member of our football program i was really impressed with cody's diligence the diligence that cody showed

009in completing our off-season workouts cody was among the handful of guys in our program that were consistently completing their self-directed workouts since we weren't able to work out as a team this is a testament to his work ethic and character that he was doing these workouts on his own along with asking questions about how to complete the workouts i'm proud of cody for his leadership and work ethic in a period of difficulties cody's has shown the grit leadership and curiosity and determination of a man destined for success thank you cody for being an inspiration to me you are truly the definition of a soaring eagle [Applause] good evening i'm amanda mckee i teach math here at chs choosing a soaring eagle this year felt different as we have gotten to know our students under unusual

010circumstances however it was an easy choice to pick ella bus as my soaring eagle from the very beginning of the year during fully remote learning ella showed me through a computer screen and 35 minutes that she has an eagerness and determination to learn during remote learning when it felt awkward to participate in a lesson ella was one who i could always count on to answer my questions and give me feedback she cares about her education and does not just want a correct answer but rather a deeper understanding of the concept which she shows by coming to office hours or watching videos on her own if she does not understand a concept right away ella you're a sweet girl and a hard worker it has been a pleasure having you in class this year and i

011look forward to seeing what you do in the future [Applause] good evening hear me good evening my name is amanda vaughn and i'm the family consumer science teacher here at chs i am excited to recognize my 2021 soaring eagle lexie campminer i had lexie in class this year for the first time and i cannot tell you how impressed i am with her lexi goes above and beyond every single day we all know that this year has been a challenge with virtual classes and weird schedules but lexi has met each of those challenges head-on and never given up lexi has worked so hard to make sure she is making the most of her education this year lexi was always the first one to arrive to class both in person and virtually she pays attention and most

012importantly she takes the skills she's learning in class and practices them at home i am so impressed and proud of her hard work this year lexi you are truly an example of a soaring eagle hello i'm kristen baker one of the school counselors here at the high school i thought about wearing my mask was up here not because i'm in danger but because i get really red when i talk so if you see that i'm okay thank you mr nickerson for having this close up in person of me so when selecting a soaring eagle i tend to gravitate towards students who prove perseverance those who have the tenacity to persist in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success this year is no different this year i choose fallon west as my soaring eagle

013it doesn't matter what kind of hurdle is put in front of fallon i am convinced there is no obstacle that will hold her back this year specifically i witnessed quite a few roadblocks attempt to derail fallon from reaching her goals i admit that i was worried these problems and negativities could have easily distracted fallon but what impresses me most is how she never lost focus of her target she was clear about her academic goals and committed to the behaviors needed to achieve them it didn't matter that i was concerned it didn't matter that we were in a pandemic it didn't matter that the entire process of how we teach and learn had been completely flipped upside down fallon is my sworn eagle because she comprises the work ethic and determination that far exceeds even the

014above the average student fallon i hope you always choose to focus on your goals and not your fears i cannot wait to see what you conquer in this world hello everyone my name is john guiney i teach english algebra study skills pretty much whatever they throw at me maggie brocklin is a very social well-liked positive student she befriends her classmates and provides support and encouragement to those around her maggie strives to do better and will always seek answers to questions regarding school work the thing that impresses me the most is maggie's willingness to jump right into an assignment she's not afraid to tackle a task head-on maggie will often bring humor to a stressful situation i witness maggie using a lighthearted comment when two classmates are having a disagreement she has a way of making

015those around her smile and move on from their disagreements maggie loves to sing she was a part of the columbia high school show choir during first semester and currently participates in the columbia high school treble choir maggie is a true pleasure to have as a student good evening i'm scott horner athletic director pe teacher and football coach when choosing this year's soaring eagle award winner it was a slam dunk decision i have known my soaring eagle for around 10 years but specifically have had the privilege of coaching this young man for the last four years you may know him as the person who won the game with a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown as a sophomore on the other hand maybe you remember the 98 yard pick six to win the game against the

016same team a year later luckily this time has afforded me the opportunity to get to know him on more of a personal level aside from his miraculous catches and touchdown runs his personality and character are what stood above all else always happy always a smile and always striving to be the best london little has soared to new heights his infectious attitude always seems to make the people around him strive for greatness his joyous demeanor motivates those around him i can't say enough about what london provides to our team on a daily basis what a wonderful and joyous young man sylvia and mike you should be very proud parents my soaring eagle award goes to london little hi everybody mark sandstrom uh government driver's ed here at the high school uh my soaring eagle selections have

017always been students who are going to execute their civic responsibilities and duties once they leave columbia high school and this year is no different my selection this year is also a student who has really matured over the last two years and really came into his own with that being said i'm very impressed with trenton martin and my government class trenton's not here tonight but he and i had a good conversation this afternoon he always had an opinion in many of the political platform topics we discussed trust me he did but he was always very respectful of others while listening to their views he may not have agreed with their views but he never infringed on the rights of others speaking their minds in the classroom setting i think a lot of students and adults can

018learn from trenton in this unfortunate time of political division president kennedy once said let us not seek the republican answer or the democratic answer but the right answer let us not seek to fix the blame for the past let us not let us accept our own responsibility for the future i think this can be a great quote for all of our youth moving forward so we don't have to live in such a divided society i look forward to keeping up with trenton in his post-high school career and see all the positive effects he will have on society moving forward but tonight let's celebrate your academic achievement and bring being a great constituent in my government class [Applause] i am sarah mcginthy i'm the choir director here at chs i've had the pleasure of having my

019soaring eagle in class for all of her years at chs as a freshman she was very quiet she always participated but made sure not to draw attention to herself as she got older she would help those students who she noticed needed a little extra help but were too afraid to ask and it is that intrinsic caring and calm nature that makes lexi schlimmer a standout amongst others her age lexi always has time to help others and plays the role of encourager in everything she does she lends a listening ear and offers a shoulder to cry on she is the first one in class to say come on guys we can do this she continually shows good character by her actions as a dancer and dance teacher she understands the necessity for hard work but is

020also realistic when it comes to putting others at ease and explaining things in an easygoing manner others feel comfortable around lexi and look to her for guidance even when she may not realize it often times lexi is not the kid you would typically notice in class she's quiet thoughtful and observant but there's a lot going on in that smart brain of hers lexi is passionate when it comes to fairness and making sure that everyone's voice is heard many times it has been her quiet yet determined mindset that gets everyone else thinking while we were unable to sing this year due to kovid lexi still stands out as a leader in show choir she led the class as one of my dance captains and led a small group in choreographing a new dance i was able

021to trust her with the first year dancers because i was confident in her teaching abilities lexi schlemmer is a sweet beautiful soul and will maintain her strive for excellence in each and everything she does in life she won't let obstacles stand in her way she will continue to be a kind friend willing listener and determined activist for what is fair and just i'm so happy to say that lexi schlimmer is my soaring eagle hello everyone my name is amanda bedard i teach physical education a driver's ed instructor here and i also do jv softball there is a saying that we don't meet people by accident that they are meant to cross our paths for a reason my swearing eagle ashland crawford was the one i believe i was supposed to cross the path with excuse

022me i'm sorry in many ways she has helped me as much as i hoped i have helped her i believe ashland that you are deserving of this award because of your kindness your bravery and your determination i watch you work your tail off in the summer to become a better catcher so you can make that varsity team you were willing to accept challenges for me and play positions you've never played before and while others stood silently i watched you stand and protect someone who needed that protection when an adult was grieving i watched you reach out and send flowers as an act of kindness i enjoy watching you grow from that teary uh teary-eyed underclassmen to the woman you're becoming you made me now the teary-eyed woman to scott and tina you ever sorry you

023have raised a wonderful daughter i will miss our conversations and seeing you at the softball field ashland i can't believe you're going to be gone next year i will miss you dearly i want to thank you for all your help with middle school softball thank you for always wanting to have a conversation with me i'm so proud of you and wish you all the success in texas ashland you are my soaring eagles good evening my name is bethany grant and i teach in the math department here at chs i have had the privilege of having my soaring eagle in class the last two school years throughout the last two years sam uran has shown many qualities that make him an excellent candidate for this award he is kind and respectful to students and teachers alike

024he has an amazing work ethic and a positive attitude while there are many reasons to nominate sam here's the main reason i did nominate him this year in such an unusual school year many students were very quiet when we returned to the classroom maybe it was the mask wearing or the distance between them but students didn't talk to each other as they usually would even before class started however sam was always starting a conversation with me or with other students before we started class and for a few minutes i could forget that everything about my teaching day was different than it was a year earlier those conversations provided a sense of normal so thank you sam for being yourself despite the challenges this school year has brought i am confident you will continue to soar

025throughout your time here at chs and beyond good evening my name is dave touche this is my 31st year here at columbia high school i teach technology accounting business driver's ed assistant coach girls basketball and girls softball so we stay pretty busy we like that it's been my pleasure to work with joey barnett as one of her basketball coaches as a freshman it can sometimes be difficult to adjust to high school life she has exhibited the ability to successfully balance her academic and extracurricular activities she seems to approach everything she does with great effort and great attitude jolie always enters the gym with one of those contagious smiles she has one of those wonderful personalities that brings a positive vibe to the gym and to our practices her presence just seems to put a smile

026on everyone's face joey's always there to lend a helping hand she's always willing to help with her do what's best for the team approach thank you jolie you make our basketball program and columbia high school a better place to be i'm looking forward to seeing what you can accomplish at chs in your next three years you're definitely a soaring eagle good evening i am scott germain head girls basketball coach p.e teacher and football coach here at columbia high school i am proud to recognize taylor etheridge as my soy eagle for this school year taylor is always willing to go the extra mile to help others like many others in this school that juggle academics athletics work a social life taylor is always upbeat every day you wouldn't know if she worked a double shift at

027tequila's whatever she's doing you wouldn't know but she would come to basketball practice in between work and go back to work after work after practice that really meant a lot to me in our in our program her positive vibe to everyone that she meets is contagious taylor does not shy away from hard work and accepts the challenges that are put in front of her on a daily basis taylor's work ethic is contagious and helps others tend to follow along with her taylor e the ridge congratulations and keep up the great work good evening my name is joe burch i am the horticultural teacher and ffa advisor this roaring eagle has been open to any challenge presented to him his character is not guided by fear or recklessness but rather by a sense of adventure and

028honesty he is a man of kindness and courage that will transmit to those around him and with his sincere integrity and unique mental toughness grant narcinsky has earned this privilege to be called the soaring eagle no matter what path grant chooses he will always display his most unique attributes that he is able to share with us at columbia grant possesses the temperament talent and conviction of a student that columbia high school proudly upholds i would also like to recognize your mother father family and friends who have put in the hard work of guiding you through the journey so far because of them your foundation is strong and character unwavering congratulations grant marzinski and we are forever forever honored to call you a throwing eagle [Applause] [Music] hi my name is courtney albrecht and i am

029a school counselor here at the high school my 2021 soaring eagle eye soaring eagle is eli wolland i have to admit that i didn't know much about eli when we started this school year our only interactions had been from class while i was pushing in to do our socially emotional lessons most of which eli was not overly fond of while eli and i have to agree have agreed to disagree on the importance of social emotional learning we can agree that education is much more exciting when we're learning about topics that we're passionate about throughout this year i've had the pleasure of working with eli and i have learned many interesting things from him and about him i have had the joy of seeing him overcome many obstacles this past year and every time eli persevered

030he pushed himself to grow and challenged himself to do better and to be better it's not often that we get the opportunity to walk through the storm with our students and get the joy of seeing the transformation as they emerge from the other side i will be forever grateful that eli chose me as someone he wanted to share these experiences with and i am beyond proud of the successes that he has earned this year good evening i'm missy steve i teach math here at chs my 2021 soaring eagle recipient is andrew carroll everyone knows andy everyone loves andy he is a kind soul and friendly to all he greets everyone politely and respectfully with a fun upbeat attitude you can't help but smile when you see him i've been andy's math teacher for two years

031in a row the subject is probably not his favorite it's probably not many people's favorite but he has a great math brain and his number sense is impressive what i have been most impressed with however is how his academic effort has transformed this year he has become a model student andy engages in lessons works hard to understand the material is much more organized he has really matured and seems to driven to succeed i believe he's talked about joining the military i envision him as a model soldier and expect he will flourish in that role now andy's not perfect he's made some mistakes along the way but i'm hoping that he's learned from those mistakes and is ready to move forward to his mom brandi congrats to you you've raised a fine young man it's experiences

032like these when we teachers see such positive changes in students that make our job seem worthwhile thank you andy for your efforts and keep working hard congrats on being a soaring eagle good evening everyone my name is allison bittner and i'm a special education teacher here this is my second year at columbia high school um okay you may find this student with his blues on for rotc on wednesdays or you might see him chatting with his friends about how he played last night on his video games he will beat you to say hi first thing in the morning almost always accompanied with a big smile although this year it has been difficult to see that smile with a mask on but you know it's there he came from dupo high school last year where i

033had him as a freshman and the following year i made my switch here to chs so we both started fresh at a new school last year when i saw him for the first time coming up the stairwell on his way to english i think we both breathed a sigh of relief to see a familiar face i think i even got a quick hug oh miss bittner i'm so glad to see you to say preston has a joy for life would be an understatement he can see the good in people and genuinely enjoys talking to his peers and staff to get the note get to know them better he has a bright part in everyone's day and is sure to leave you with a smile preston brown i am so proud of the young man you

034are becoming it has been my pleasure to get to know you over the years and i'm so glad you're here at chs to spread that joy to everyone you meet congrats buddy good evening everyone i'm tim gagan and i'm a social studies here at columbia high school i'd like to start by congratulating all of our soaring eagles and also congratulating all of you for playing a huge role in their ability to soar my choice for this year's soaring eagle is a young lady i've had the honor and pleasure of having in classes the last two years jessa giovannetti to me she is the perfect student not because she gets good grades which she does but more importantly for what she brings to class every single day you know i understand students leaving my class with

035a smile on their face but she enters class every day in the same way smiling she always pays attention and i can honestly say and this blows me away i don't even know if she owns a phone i've never seen her phone [Applause] she never makes excuses always completes her works on time and thoughtfully in the world of teaching we say students like jessa get it jessa keep that smile on your face and don't change a thing dream big dream dream hard and you will find all your dreams come true i wish you the best of luck and i thank you for everything you've brought to my classes this is why you are my 2021 soaring eagle [Applause] thanks good evening i am ryan hampton i'm one of the industrial technology teachers here at the

036high school this year my soaring eagle is jared hoffman jared is an outstanding student who on a daily basis goes the extra mile his education continuously exceeds the exp the performance standards of everyday shop students he willingly accepts new assignments and offers to help whenever he can jared most appreciated quality is his willingness to voluntarily work after school to help with projects last year due to the pandemic our construction program was unable to complete a pavilion and shed project for a local church we had promised to do while i volunteered to do the project over the summer i could not complete the task alone jared volunteered his own time to complete the shed and pavilion project throughout the summer and for that i am most grateful thank you jared for all your hard work and

037with your kindness and work ethic you will be very successful in the future thank you good evening i'm mary adams i teach in english department here at columbia high school we have so many outstanding students at chs and our soaring eagle recipients are standouts for so many reasons for making vast improvements in their academic career to overcoming significant obstacles to never settling for less than their best but what about that student who is extraordinary yet simultaneously so humble that she consistently flies under the radar not only does she not need accolades but i honestly think she prefers it that way my choice for soaring eagle for the weirdest school year on record spent her quarantine months this time last year developing herself as a student as a human being and as a young woman and

038i'd be remiss if i failed to note that she was already pretty fantastic as a student in my classroom throughout the normal parts of last year she was conscientious and quiet but with a beautiful smile and a subtle eagerness to learn but when we found ourselves at home in april and may of 2020 learning asynchronously it was then that i really had the opportunity to build a relationship with her and i'm so lucky to have had that opportunity it's long brace yourselves she is an independent go-getter when she wasn't scoring as high as she wanted in her riding instead of complaining or merely settling for what was still pretty good writing she asked for more practice when she wanted to develop her ability to participate in more philosophical discourse she sought out new readings new

039experiences and new conversations all independent of her classroom assignments and in that time not only was a beautiful writer and human being evolving but she also breathed life into an old teacher who loved the reminder of why we do this and it's to expose our students to opportunities to become lifelong learners she is a lifelong learner and not just in the classroom she is a champion for justice what many don't know about her is that she is eager to build a better and safer world for future generations that she is hungry to create ripples that motivate others to push for changes that will improve the lives of others of people she doesn't even know over the summer she devoted the most personal and scarce commodity that we all possess her time she gave her time

040to others in service to advocate for change such work is not always popular and is often polluted by today's ugly political landscape but for her it's not political she gives her time and advocacy in order to support those who need it and she approaches her work much in the same way she approaches her work in the classroom knowing that going above and beyond the status quo is a mission built for her paige biermann's most important attribute though is that she is selflessly and unabashedly kind i have seen her go out of her way to empathize with people and situations and opinions that she doesn't necessarily agree with because it's so important to her to understand where others are coming from and never to invalidate the feelings of others while many people teenagers and adults alike

041intend to drive from a place of understanding most of us often fall short but she does not page's mission to devote her time and efforts to not only understand others but to evalu elevate others often goes unnoticed because of her humility but she is a force and i truly believe that she is going to change the world we are all lucky to be in her presence [Applause] hi my name is craig rytursky and i teach music here at columbia high school and at parkview i have five students sitting out there wondering which is the unlucky one but the one the one i choose to roast tonight is called patrick berner so stand up and let him get a look at you patrick there you go all right so my soaring eel winner can be categorized

042under the file called hidden gems of chs patrick berner may be the most unassuming student that i have ever taught if you're a teacher of patrick you are well aware that he is content with not uttering a single sound in class unless required by his instructor but underneath that stoic exterior lives a young man whose drive talent and dedication to music have set himself up for potentially great future as a performer in addition to whatever else he chooses to do patrick serves as a percussionist in the bands here at chs he has marched many a half-time show not this year and many a parade carrying a set of five drums because well when you look at him he has incredible back development he's muscular and he can pack mule about two thousand pounds so that

043he gets those drums but mostly it's because he has the skill to play five drums when most of the others have difficulty with one they're not here tonight so i could say that patrick has performed in many wind ensemble concerts too but kovit has kept the public from seeing his true talent as a piano player patrick plays piano in the chs jazz ensemble and represents our school at the illinois high school association's state solo and ensemble contest two planned jazz concerts have been canceled uh since he's been in the jazz band due to the pandemic and the state contest has gone viral it is for this reason that i have no i've nominated patrick as my soaring eagle i want to tell the chs community that in patrick i see the potential for greatness as

044a musician and other people need to know about this patrick's parents they're sitting right up there hi nancy and trent and his sister and elise i got you in the program annalise they have wisely supported his music education by providing him with piano lessons for a number of years patrick practices diligently and without being told to do so his performances at the state contest regularly yield perfect scores not just superior ratings but perfect scores and he has been selected as best performer of the day by a judge who has listened to 30 to 40 piano players during the day two weeks ago a contest judge wrote i am excited to think of the repertoire that is coming your way on piano this is high praise from a contest judge this after she had heard his

045difficult piece submitted virtually folks this young man has seriously legit talent patrick all great artists start with humble beginnings just like you you have the ability the demeanor and work ethic to see yourself through to whatever musical endeavor you choose many people would sacrifice a lot just to have some of your talent i urge you to aim high and continue your development don't waste your talent and do not fall for the trap of untrue negative self-talk believe in yourself those of us who know you we already believe in you patrick berner hi my name is chelsea adair i teach several different classes so i'll spare you the list of going through all of them but my soaring eagle nomination this year is jordan giovannetti i have had the privilege to watch jordan grow into a

046mature young adult during her years at chs jordan has always wanted the best for her future there have been many times she has felt she wasn't going to reach her goals when times were tough our saying was you've got this in the last year there have been many obstacles that have all had that we have all had to overcome jordan has shown that no matter the obstacles she can handle it she has exceeded all expectations jordan has shown that she is not only a hard worker she is intelligent brave and can reach anything she sets her mind to jordan i am so proud of you and happy that i get to call you my soaring eagle always remember you've got this [Applause] good evening i am carrie clayton and i am going to um award

047uh miss allen soaring eagles she was unable to make it tonight and so i have the pleasure of sharing her words so i'm going to read her words directly okay hello everyone i am aaron allen an english teacher here at chs but i'm not my soaring eagle is a student that i have had the privilege of getting to know over the past two years in my st louis university english class classes not only are they a strong student in my class they are also a very talented artist i have been lucky enough to receive several pieces of their art which i am happy to have in my classroom one of the many reasons that i nominated this student for the soaring eagle is their inquisitive mind they are always thinking about whatever it is we

048are reading or discussing in class their contributions to our class discussions always provide a new perspective on the topic often causing me to pause and consider what they have said these insights usually go beyond class discussions carrying over into the hall as they explain their thought process or other questions they still have i can't quite explain how much i have enjoyed these conversations mostly because they show me just how much they have considered and wrestled with whatever it is we are working on in class and the conclusions they come to are always interesting i've always enjoyed when a student is able to get me to see a text differently especially when it is something that i've taught many times this year i am honored to name mr daniel lechner as my soaring eagle his insights

049and creativity are going to take him far in life and i cannot wait to see what he [Applause] accomplishes good evening my name is profe atwell i teach spanish here at columbia high school and also at columbia middle school having students who are soaring eagles has been something welcomed during a difficult arduous year both to teach and to learn the challenges faced by all of us here tonight have been numerous despite this you all have stepped up despite the circumstances and shown us character perseverance and grace to my soaring eagle i have some adjectives for you character perseverance grace patience sense of humor these qualities among others are just some of the reasons why i chose you as my soaring eagle in a tough school year you brought positivity daily you brought humor and levity

050that helped eliminate any awkwardness of masks or hybrid learning in a way that i could not i could count on you daily to participate and share you helped build community an aspect of the classroom that is so important to me yet so hard to build in a year like this and for that i am grateful i appreciate all of your efforts this year and that is why you jaylen brister are my soaring eagle congratulations on a well-deserved [Applause] accolade hello everyone i'm kerry burton and i teach in the math department here at chs i have chosen alexa bondman as my soaring eagle this year because she always gives her best effort no matter the situation this school year has been a year of constant changes of changes and through all of these changes alexa remained

051constant she remained focused through the many distractions and obstacles that can come with learning in the middle of a pandemic even when we were fully remote she always participated in class by asking and answering questions if she missed class she found a way to stay caught up and engaged i do not think math is her favorite subject but she maintains a positive attitude and strong work ethic even when she does not understand something right away she never makes excuses or tries to take the easy way out because she takes initiative and responsibility for her own learning i know alexa will continue to be successful in addition to being a great student alexa is a great person she is kind respectful well-rounded and mature i am very thankful for the opportunity to get to know alexa

052this year and i'm excited to see what she accomplishes in the future congratulations alexa [Applause] good evening i'm wendy stevens i teach in the math department here at the high school i chose my soaring eagle this year based on a level of determination hard work and a great attitude this student has the ability to work hard while keeping a smile in space he's willing to ask questions when no one else will to speak encouraging words to peers when all are feeling stressed and generally bring a positive attitude to all around when situations don't seem so positive this year has been particularly challenging for all the students and i know it was for him as well but he stepped up and fought hard to keep grades up and his attitude bright i've had the pleasure working

053with this student all four years of high school career as a math team member as a freshman the seniors on the team lovingly gave him the name html dude and he wore it with honor i knew he was going to be a standout student even then thus it's no surprise that now as a senior i would choose him as an impeccable example of good character and exemplary representative of a chs eagle spirit thanks to my soaring eagle mason albers for making my job so [Applause] rewarding good evening i'm carrie farmer and i teach computers here at chs all of my courses are semester classes so it's not very often that students are able to take more than one of my classes in a year this year i have a few exceptions and one of them

054is my soaring eagle winner this student comes into class every day with a smile and a welcome she works diligently keeps a positive attitude even when something's challenging with covid and the changes in our curriculum she's willing to help me work through things some bumps that we've run into my student never complained about the changes we've endured but continued to be a bright shining light to those around her she truly encompasses everything a model student and person should be she's always smiling positive and friendly she greets everyone and very very respectful this student is the type of person that cares about the well-being of others and is a true nurturer through this crazy unprecedented year she's shown us she can handle different situations with great maturity and ease it's proven to me and many others

055that she can excel in all things in the future and she can do so with grace and positivity i can't wait to see what her future holds kelsey olendorf you're a great example of a soaring eagle hello my name is tyler oberfeld i'm the other shop teacher i'm honored to recognize my choice for soaring eagle tonight izzy whaley izzy has shown excellence throughout our industrial technology courses i first met izzy when she took production technology which is our entry level class she stood out to me in that class due to her work ethic leadership and enthusiasm a prime example of these traits are demonstrated through her extracurricular commitment to skillsusa she has showed leadership and excellence through state competitions and monthly meetings at the state competitions she sought extra help outside of class time to

056learn how to weld using gmaw she mixed her passion for welding and art to make a welding sculpture that was submitted to the state competition at our monthly meetings she has taken on a leadership role in which she helps to plan and run the meetings izzy is usually the first person to volunteer to do extra just this school year she has built many projects in both the wood shop and metal shop that were not required of her these projects were offered as something extra to do not for extra credit or recognition some projects she worked on were to help other students other projects were for the school and some were for me the point i'm making here is that she was done with her work and chose to do more this is a rare and

057admirable trait for a very young person now i get to talk about izzy's enthusiasm in the four years i have known her izzy has not had many bad days she is typically typically very upbeat and excited about the work she is doing in my class she also likes to share stories about what is going on in her life outside of school let me tell you these school these stories are great izzy has unique qualities of work ethic enthusiasm and leadership skills that will serve her well after high school i have enjoyed having her in class and watch her develop these skills congrats and good luck on all you do hi i'm reagan rebelmeyer and i teach english here at chs in a year full of constant up and downs schedule changes and challenges it would

058have been easy for my soaring eagle to give up and move on however they actually did the very opposite my soaring eagle radiated positivity and hard work throughout the year that would have been so easy to give up on every day this student came into my class with a smile saying hello to me as well as others in the room throughout class this student helped others around them participated in discussions while in person and remote they also never counted anyone out in games activities and discussions i never once heard a complaint or negative comment from this person when negativity was so prevalent around us not only did i see positivity and work ethic displayed at school but i also noticed it outside of school i ran into this student multiple times just by chance and

059they were just as positive working just as hard with a smile on their face those moments out in the community made me so proud to tell people that i was with that that was my student working hard and smiling while they did so it has been an honor to teach this student and to come to know the person that they are inside and outside of the classroom it's easy to see that they have everything they need to succeed throughout their remaining years at chs and then beyond i can't wait to see where their determined spirit takes them because i know it's going to be somewhere great and when they get to where they're going i will continue to proudly call them my student and all of these reasons and more are why i am proud

060to present addison miller with the 2021 soaring eagle award hello everyone i'm kelly briesacker i teach english in a year of so much change and uncertainty so much turmoil and trepidation there has remained one constant one reassurance my soaring eagle megan elliott remained a bright spot in a dark time from day one with a smile on her face even amidst a trying school year this young woman made it clear that she has high expectations for herself and she continues to make it clear that through her grit determination and perseverance she won't accept anything less than perfection in just one example of many earlier this year as students were preparing for a class presentation she mentioned to me that she was very nervous and like so many of us public speaking just isn't her thing together

061we talked through some tips and some strategies and on the day of her presentation one would never know that she was the least bit apprehensive she gave the best speech in the class and she practiced and worked hard for that honor aside from her dedication as a student megan is simply an all-around good person i've been witness to megan's willingness to see the best in others and to promote the goodness that is so instilled in her character one cannot help but take notice her kindness and decency is truly infectious megan i am so pleased to award you as my soaring eagle you totally deserve it congratulations i'm a little shorter good evening good evening it's gotta go way down it might fall now hello my name is kathleen kelly and i'm one of the school

062counselors at chs it is my honor this evening to present my 2021 soaring eagle award to a young man who has taught me much about strength determination perseverance commitment and survival over the course of the past four years he and i have had several conversations about education careers friends and family many times our talk centered around the fact that the situation at hand may be difficult but never impossible quitting was a never an option for him when it came time to make some tough decisions about his educational future and the ability to achieve his goal of earning a diploma he trusted me and made several sacrifices and very tough choices the saying that comes to mind when i think of this student is when the going gets tough the tough gets going he seems to

063have lived much of his life by this motto and it has served him well he is a loving son grandson friend and just a good all-around person what i think when i think of him is believe that's the word believe because i believe in him i didn't see him here this evening because i believe he's working so my soaring eagle award goes to mr rodney clayton kelly [Applause] good evening my name is michelle kleinschmidt i teach science it is my pleasure to announce grace crossley as my soaring eagle this year in a school year with continual changes i am so thankful to have a constant like grace in my class it didn't matter what stage of learning we were in i could always count on grace to have a positive attitude and make the most

064of every situation while in remote learning grace was never afraid to participate and speak up during the google meets when we switched to hybrid it didn't matter if it was her in-person day or remote day she would stay engaged throughout the entire class and when we returned to school every day she enters the classroom ready to work with a smile on her face in addition i have been very impressed by grace's motivation to learn she strives to do her best and never hesitates to ask questions to improve her understanding i have graced the last hour of the day and while many are watching the clock and preparing to rush out the door to be done with the school day it is not uncommon for grace to stick around after the bell to finish an assignment

065she is a great role model to her classmates in addition to her contagious positivity she is also inclusive to all students in the class she works well with all of her peers and is quick to include others in a group setting her work ethic kindness and compassion not only make her a great student but a remarkable person i have no doubt that grace will do great things and continue to spread her positivity and kindness for the remainder of her high school years and future congratulations grace good evening my name is derek orzicki and i teach at the in the math department here at chs to begin i want to congratulate every student here for being nominated for this amazing award you should not hold this award lightly this award resembles tremendous work ethic outstanding character

066and the will to do good and be good both inside and outside of the classroom this award means going above and beyond to do what is right overcoming obstacles and pushing through adversity this award symbolizes commitment and determination and a model of a good leader i'd like to take this time now to congratu congratulate my 2021 soaring eagle nominee caleb yocum i have had the privilege to work with kayla for the past year for meeting him for the first time behind the lens of a computer screen to finally getting the chance to meet him in person i have seen caleb grow and mature as both a student and as an individual this year wasn't any for easy this year wasn't easy for anyone i think we can all agree on that caleb proved that adversity

067would not stand in the way of his success he persevered and continued to move forward caleb carries the qualities of a good leader a good friend and a good mentor his conta his work ethic is contagious to those around him as he sets an example for what is right caleb is a joy to have in class and i am honored to present him with the 2020 award 2021 soaring eagle award this evening congratulations good evening i'm carrie clayton and i teach in the science department i always keep my eye out for different students who i may award my soaring eagle to each year and each year there are so many wonderful young adults to choose from this year i knew early on who my soaring eagle would be in fact one day at lunch i

068told a co-worker how impressed i was with this student and that she would most likely be my recipient my soaring eagle has impressed me with her work in anatomy and physiology this school year from the get-go she puts her all into everything her work is never second rate however she is more than a student who does well in anatomy my soaring eagle is kind energetic outspoken when necessary and a little stubborn but that is what makes her unique and stand out she has her own spunk and flare and anyone who knows my soaring eagle emma russo would probably agree emma i've enjoyed our office hour chats watching your enthusiasm in your flip grids and getting to know you this year never forget to always be true to yourself and dream big keep soaring high emma

069peace good evening my name is jessica packard and i am the art teacher here at high school this year i'd like you to help me celebrate oh this is not the right speech where's tiana we're going gonna pause on mine for a minute hello my name is alicia arnold and i'm one of the spanish teachers here at columbia high school i first met my soaring eagle three years ago when he was a sophomore in my spanish 3 class he had a sparkle in his eye and a strong desire to learn near the end of spanish 3 he decided he wanted to challenge himself and switch to the honors spanish courses as a junior he enrolled in spanish three honors and impressed me with his flexibility kindness and determination and here we are nearing the end

070of his senior year i get to see a smiling face okay i can't see it under the mask but maybe more like that sparkle in his eye dominic hour has been a constant source of positivity in my classes for three years i do not know what i would have done without his tech support and encouragement as i learned to navigate the world of hybrid teaching google meets and juggling several speakers i'm still not perfect at it but i know when i stumble dominic will be there with a sparkling eye how to technology email written that even i can understand or a perfectly made emo's pizza he makes the best dominico mio gracias portolo thank you for all you've done for me over these past three years i know you'll do great in the next chapter

071of your life and i know you'll continue to help others thank you for always helping me [Applause] hello i'm linda malone i teach science here at the high school as a school we are blessed with many wonderful hard-working caring students this year so many stepped up to be even more outstanding there definitely was a very strange start to the school year with us not being able to even really meet with our students on the first day having said that my soaring eagle reached out to me very early on in august when they were going to miss a day for an appointment they let me know ahead of time asking for the assignment that they would miss another time when they were still online she emailed me early on politely asking a question about a quiz

072that i had made a mistake on consistently day by day month by month she's been so good about communicating with me her classmates and her teammates anytime that she's going to be gone for a college visit an appointment or a competition she always lets her teachers know ahead of time asking about what she will miss when she's been traveling she's been so good about still getting her work done often being one of the first ones to turn in assignments or quizzes when she's had questions on materials she's always asked about it in this year those questions usually were done by email for every response that i've been given there's always been a thank you and sometimes there have been more questions at the end of the day our with our communications there's usually something like

073have a nice day miss malone when i gave an assignment at thanksgiving asked asking students to tell me what they were thankful for i got several great responses hers was one of them she was one of the students that introduced me to a new poster type app that can be used she also answered some questions that i had about their computer application for whatever she's doing for classes yearbook student council or for volleyball teams olivia peterson is putting in her best effort she is a leader in so many ways i've been so pleased to have students back in class seeing this tall volleyball player in class this nine weeks has given me an even better perspective on how olivia deserves a soaring eagle award olivia thank you for all your commit communication your dedication and

074your leadership may you continue to soar upward all right take two [Laughter] this year i'd like you to help me celebrate abby serta as being my choice for the soaring eagle award i've had the privilege of being abby's art teacher since she was in grade school from our time together at chs i have been able to get to know her as a creative reliable and passionate young woman abby has always been sarcastic and funny and the kind of person who isn't afraid to initiate conversations about any variety of subjects including art more than that though she's determined and strong-willed she's not afraid to stand up for herself and make her opinions known abby takes risks and enjoys challenges she is confident in herself and in what she does both inside and outside the classroom when

075tasked with a job she makes sure she always gets it done and does it well very few people have the passion for art that abby does and can follow through with their work and ideas she may be stubborn at times but she's also incredibly loyal and a great friend to those around her for these reasons no one deserves to be a soaring eagle more than her abby it's unfortunate that you weren't with me in person this year but i'm proud of you for making through a less than ideal senior year after the loss of so many milestones and experiences this year i'm happy to be able to give you this one congratulations soaring eagle i can't wait to see the amazing things you [Applause] do good evening my name is ashley ramsay and i teach

076spanish this is the second year that i have had the joy of teaching my soaring eagle last year as a freshman the student was shy and maybe even a little unsure of her spanish abilities i could never figure out why though because her answers were always strong and detailed i noticed that she would would typically let others answer the question even though her idea was just as strong if not stronger now as a sophomore i can tell that she is way more confident in herself than last year one of my favorite parts of having you as a student is that i was able to witness your increased confidence what is even better than that is that i was able to watch you realize your own growth and confidence or growth and confidence thank you for

077always pushing yourself to explain the best possible answer london mine heart you are my soaring eagle congratulations [Applause] good evening my name is brooks domijian i'm the pe health driver education i coach boys basketball here at the high school my soaring eagle is someone who if they are absent you are definitely going to know he makes his presence known every single day especially with attendance uh if you're in his class you definitely know what we're talking about he has a great sense of humor a love of blues hockey is never shy on words his outgoing personality is engaging and is one of the many reasons he would go far in his next adventure i am extremely proud of this student and his bravery in joining the united states navy after high school thank you in

078advance for your service and i know you'll serve our country proud congratulations to my soaring eagle sam campbell unfortunately sam couldn't be here tonight but i talked to him this morning i think he's watching so uh congratulations sam i'll shake your hand when you get back and we'll see you soon buddy thank you hello i'm katie holliday i teach english here i've only been here for a couple years but it is long enough to know that those bleachers are not very comfortable so we appreciate your patience and sticking around for all of the students we are on our 41st student and we just have a few more to go so thank you when the school year began the students and staff at chs sorry when the school year began the students and staff at chs

079reinvented education one of the common phrases at this time was uncharted territory and indeed it rang true seeing my students via webcam was awkward uncomfortable and silent at times teachers parents and students began adapting not just to the social distance in technology but to each other it's fair to say we were all struggling to some degree with the basics of human interaction it was the start of a new school year an exciting time of the year but this time through it just wasn't the same feeling that we all know and love things were different communicating through a microphone and screen was intimidating and quite frankly strange for the first few days i feared class discussion might actually be impossible i was wrong in regards to the challenges of uncharted territory the kids stepped up the

080first few students to speak up to try and connect with the material with me and with their classmates were without a doubt the true leaders of this pandemic with his demonstration of leadership and courage in mind i chose my soaring eagle max grody freshman at columbia high school was the first student to unmute on a daily basis showing a humble type of fearlessness vulnerability and a willingness to connect with others students like max who had the courage to unmute and answer questions were my saving grace students who responded with curiosity and genuine interest gave me hope and the students who had enough grit and heart to actually try their best reminded me why i chose this career max a new student to chs not only took on the uncharted territory of hybrid learning he also

081took on the pressure that comes with being the son of the district superintendent a role that no doubt entails anxieties and possibly perceived expectations you wouldn't guess it though because he carried it so well for the record just in case any of the teachers at chs had been wondering what kind of student max grody is he is humble and kind and rather spunky i appreciate the willingness to participate in class yes but more so i admire his positive attitude and calm approach to adversity i learn a great deal from my students this year thanks to my soaring eagle i learned that generation z is something to be cherished these young adults are surprisingly super talkative they are brave intelligent fun creative and they are strong hello i'm laura schmidt i'm a chemistry teacher at columbia

082high school and in my humble opinion it takes a special kind of student to withstand the rigors of an ap chemistry class it's a course designed to challenge the best and the brightest of students to absorb unfamiliar concepts they're abstract concepts to evaluate those scientific claims to crunch calculations and to articulate their understanding at an unyielding pace it's a daunting it's a grueling it's an uphill all the way marathon of a class and although i'd like to say that everybody right should have the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate oxidation and reduction reactions and integrated rate law and bond enthalpies and equilibrium solubility constants but to me what really makes the class special and what makes it so satisfying is that moment of teacher gold when it suddenly clicks for a student i'm telling you it's

083a hard fought victory some days it doesn't matter if it's a quiz if it's a test or if it's just surviving the latest round of college board problem sets it's a win and it's a win worth celebrating it's what makes all the blood sweat tears and agony worth so worthwhile in the end of it and of course although there's many students that i could have recognized my heart goes out to those students who are making improvements who are working who are striving who are persevering who are keeping at it just one more time to try and get it so colin osborne although this year was not what any of us expected during our time together in class you were there with quiet right determination confidence ready to get to work attitude you were willing to

084ask questions and more questions and and more questions you were willing to rework problems and assist others and maintain a positive outlook throughout the year and as a result you certainly have learned some college chemistry but more than anything i hope that you learned about what hard work with hard work you can accomplish and i hope you've learned certainly not to underestimate what you're capable of doing because i'm most confident that you're going to be doing remarkable things in your future thank you i'm sure he's probably homesteading gibbs free energy for his quiz tomorrow good evening my name is megan vogt and i teach agriculture and i'm the ffa advisor here um this year when it came time to choose my soaring eagle the choice came pretty easily our skill our school year has been

085anything but normal but so many students took the opportunity to make the best of it and some even stepped out of their comfort zone to do so ree shafer did just that while she has always been enrolled in agriculture classes and a member of the ffa she has never been she has never taken on a leadership role this year when sports and other activities were not happening she saw the opportunity to play a bigger role in the organization and grow her leadership skills as part of the ffa officer team and i am so glad she did she is always willing to lend a helping hand ask what else she can do or bring new ideas to the team in a team of all high school boys aside from her she is often the voice of

086reason and the one to keep the focus she has been a great asset to the team a soaring eagle to me exemplifies traits of being kind helpful and driven it has been a joy and privilege to get to know and work with her inside and outside of the classroom all of these things are just some of the reasons that i easily chose rhys as my soaring eagle congrats reese i look forward to seeing all of the things that you accomplish uh good evening i'm matt doogie uh mr o'donnell neil has uh had a previous game engagement and so i agreed to read for him and hopefully i'll be able to do his soaring eagle justice so in his words my soaring eagle award winner this year is jonah james john is an exceptional young man

087who is who's excelled both inside and outside the classroom i really enjoy having jonah in economics during the first semester this year even though he wasn't a typical semester i look forward to our google meets and checking in with jonah each day in case you didn't know it jones also a chs broadcaster he and sam benaldy have done a wonderful job carrying on the tradition of the broadcasters with their lighthearted look into life at chs jones also distinguished himself as an athlete during his time here at chs he defines what a successful three sport athlete is i don't know how much i don't know much about soccer i don't but i know that he's good at scoring goals he recently was also named as the all-conference award winner in basketball and i can't wait to

088see what he has what he and his teammates can do on the baseball field in the coming weeks it is my privilege and pleasure to work with jonah and jonah you're truly a soaring eagle jonah you can also get a picture with mr o'donnell when he's here later thank you sorry about that i should have led with that all right good evening my name is matthew doogie and i am the last one uh and my soaring eagle who i was actually going to announce at the very end sheamus you might as well stand up now i don't know if you realize it or not here we go my nomination for soaring eagles here is a young man that i think may fly under the radar uh he didn't draw a lot of attention to himself

089in my classes but he was always there and he was an easy student to like and connect connect with as years change students change but my soaring eagle nominee has remained true to himself and i'm glad that i've had the good fortune to have had him in class i've come to appreciate him for who he is a student has a lot going on but doesn't crave the spotlight it's also great to know that he is a serious celtics fan congratulations sheamus story lingo you are my soaring eagle winner [Music] well unfortunately i didn't clue mr doogie and we do have two more uh i'd be remiss we're adding something to the ceremony this year we have two staff members two seniors that will be leaving us this year after giving this community and this school

09054 years of service and we've added them to the night miss mcginty would you please come up first one of our special soaring eagles tonight is retiree craig reiterski who teaches band here at chs in general music at parkview so mr roy turski go ahead and stand [Music] [Applause] the many experiences that kids have had in our in our district and others with mr r is innumerable he began teaching at modern day where he started his career and taught for six years before moving to colorado he taught two more years before finally setting settling here in columbia for the last 28 years here is just a small list of the things he's accomplished over his amazing career he has led his marching bands at numerous football halftime shows made sure that all his students understood

091exactly how far 22 inches is when field marching made sure that all his students oh excuse me directed countless pep band tunes at basketball games traveled with a pep band to play at the state basketball tournaments prepared thousands of students for the ilmea district festival prepared many of those same students as they went on to the ilmea all-state festival he instilled a love for music by teaching his elementary students the recorder which as a parent i'm sure was sometimes tough but they love him for it he taught thousands of concert band pieces instructed band students on many songs each spring for ihsa solo ensemble contest he created the jazz band program here at chs and grew it into one of the most enjoyable ensembles we have he provided outside opportunities for those interested in honing

092their instrumental skills spent the equivalent of eight months of his life leading marching band camp won many first place ratings in the pinkneyville parades sold more lemon shake-ups than can be counted to raise money for our music programs through the columbia music boosters set up this was some math let me tell you set up and tore down close to 20 000 chairs music stands percussion instruments and sound systems took many memorable trips with a band and a few with choir to perform on main street at the magic kingdom at disney world followed by several glorious trips to bradenton beach where he ate pancakes on the beach there are so many more things that i'm forgetting but let it be known that mr r has stayed busy many times through his career he continues to hone

093his craft by playing a saxophone often with a chs jazz band he shares his voice by singing at church he lends his educational knowledge by judging several area band contests his students will always remember some of the famous one-liners he's had which usually include the start of every class okay bands that sounds like a dumpster truck on fire falling off the empire state building does everyone else hear that one at a time let's go and just because you have german heritage doesn't mean you can march like that that was my favorite in truth mr writerski is an unforgettable director who loves his kids and makes sure to share his love for music with them all they will remember his silly names for them the inside jokes and most of all the laughter and the camaraderie

094that comes from being taught by someone for four or more years band is a family and mr r is the dad he's the one that gives them the leftover candy after the football season is over who throws random movie night parties and truly cares about them earlier tonight mr reicherski spoke about his soaring eagle and i'd like to use some of his own words about him mr r all great artists start with humble beginnings just like you you've had the ability demeanor and work ethic to see you through to whatever musical endeavor you have chosen many people would sacrifice a lot just to have some of your talent i urge you to continue to aim high believe in yourself because those of us who know you believe in you too i'd like everyone to congratulate

095mr r on his amazing career and wish him well with its retirement may the fish deer and turkeys be [Applause] [Music] plentiful [Applause] all right hi i'm back all right i have had the pleasure of knowing my next soaring eagle for over the past 10 years astronaut scott kelly said the thing i like most about flying in space is not the view the thing i like about it is doing something i feel very very strongly about this quote speaks volumes of how i feel linda malone views teaching we could rewrite it to say the thing linda likes most about teaching at chs is not the view the thing she likes about it is doing something she feels very very passionate about from working early hours to late nights over the weekends and holidays linda always

096puts her entire self into teaching science to young adults over the past 26 years teaching at chs linda has influenced so many students in their exploration of science her expertise and commitment will be impossible to replace her wisdom of teaching over the past 33 years means she has scored hundreds of scantron sheets ran hundreds if not thousands of labs and has finally used google meets to have class online the change in classroom instruction and time in her educational experience will likely never be replicated despite health challenges and losses of loved ones linda continued to give her all to her students her love of music movies and theater reminds us to find selections that mean so much to us so that we can persist even through challenging times linda has accomplished this you are a model

097for current and upcoming educators thank you for the commitment and passion you have shared with cusd4 it is my honor to present linda malone a soaring eagle award from the science department linda you will be greatly missed but your kindness love for science and caring nature will live on in our wing in the words of scott kelly again to continue toward any journey we must always challenge ourselves to take the next step i know deciding to retire was a challenge for you but think of the new journey you are about to embark on keep soaring and enjoy retirement [Applause] i want to thank you very much for joining us tonight students please wear your medals tomorrow and seniors and when those that are underclassmen when you become seniors and you go to graduation please wear

098those on your gowns at graduation with honor we have some outstanding students here and we have some outstanding families and we thank you for all that you've done to bring these students to us and let us be a part of their lives thank you and everyone have a great night [Music] you