Students of the Year

DSISD Students of the Year
Posted on 05/16/2018

Morgan Rajala earned Career and Technical Education’s highest award, the Joseph Hampton Achievement Award, at the Intermediate School District’s (I.S.D.) spring awards program. The Hampton award is presented annually to a student who has shown outstanding achievements in their Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. Along with the Hampton award, Morgan was presented a $1,000 Joseph Hampton/Ivan Ryan Scholarship. It was established in honor of Joseph Hampton, the first director of career and technical education at the ISD, and also recognizes the career of Ivan Ryan as Director of Career and Technical Education. In Schoolcraft County, the Hampton Award and Hampton/Ryan scholarship were presented to Alexis Russell.

Rajala is a Mid Peninsula High School senior, and daughter of James and Tracy Rajala. She completed the automotive technology program this year and health occupations program last year. Her accomplishments in her ISD programs, along with his activities outside of the ISD made her the top choice for the Hampton Award. Rajala said she enjoyed both the health occupations program which gave her health care skills and Certified Nurse’s Aide Certification, and the automotive program, which gave her automotive certifications and practical skills diagnosing and repairing vehicles. A strong academic achiever, she has earned college credits through the Early Middle College. She is a leader and role model with a big smile, and she is an inspiration for others to be positive. Her passion for helping people led her to possible careers as a nurse or dentist.

Brooke Baker, an Escanaba senior, was awarded the Dr. Roger Gustafson Award and $750 scholarship. This award is in memory of Dr. Gustafson who served as I.S.D. Director of Career and Technical Education for 34 years. Baker is in the ISD health occupations program and she completed her Certified Nurse’s Aide Certificate while gaining part of her clinical work experience at Bishop Noa Home. She is active in athletic, fine arts, and volunteer organizations. She will continue her education at Central Michigan University majoring in biomedical sciences, working toward a career as a pediatric oncologist.

Each program selected their most outstanding students to be Students of the Year, and the top seven students were interviewed for the Hampton and Gustafson awards. This year’s award selection committee included Tanya Lund and Gary Bjorkquist. Those selected for this honor included:

– Morgan Rajala and Samantha Tyson – Automotive Technology

– Sophia Wessel and Veronica Williams – Careers in Education

– Tyler Cook and Blaine Reinhart – Construction Trades

– Brooke Baker, Mark Maeder and Madison Griffin – Health Occupations

– Cassandra Krenek and Soren Thompson – Machining Technology

– Nathan Pascoe and Bradley Wadeen – PC Technician

– Jacob Worthen – Pre-Engineering

– Gavin Schwalbach and Brandon Kangas – Welding Technology

The ISD awards program included the induction of 13 new members into the ISD Technical Education Honor Society. They join current member, Cassandra Krenek. She was awarded a $250 DSISD Technical Education Honor Society Scholarship from the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel (MARSP). New members are: Bryce Dykes, Nathan Ouradnik, MacKenna Hanson, Brittney Paquin, Rylee Hughes, Blaine Reinhart, Michael Keeker, Broc Stenberg, Morgan Letteriello, Justin VanDrese, Brent Lundquist, Veronica Williams and Shelby Martinucci.

Guest speaker was 1982-1983 construction trades Student of the Year Perry Lund. Lund went on to NMU and Cooley Law School and is currently the attorney referee and juvenile court administrator for Delta County Probate Court. He said his construction trade skills have proven helpful throughout his life. He learned skills in the construction class that enabled him to run a construction business that helped pay his way through law school. He continues to use his skills building and remodeling his home. According to Lund, “The next generation needs to be aware of, and consider, career opportunities in the skilled trades, as well as careers that require a college degree. You will be successful if you set solid career goals for yourselves, and be proud of your accomplishments.”

ISD machining student, Cassandra Krenek, was presented with a Breaking Traditions Award from the Michigan Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education. The award recognizes students who excel in a CTE program that is nontraditional for their gender. She was selected from a field of over 70 applicants statewide for the honor. She completed two years of machining at the I.S.D. where she operates mills, lathes, CNC machines and other equipment. Along with her award, Cassandra was presented with $250 scholarships from the General Federation of Women’s Club (GFWC) and American Association of University Women (AAUW), and a $500 scholarship from Chapter Z of the Philanthropic Educators Organization (PEO) Sisterhood.

$27,600 in scholarships were awarded to students in Delta and Schoolcraft Counties. Other scholarships include:

$1,000 Marquette Builders Exchange – Blaine Reinhart

$500 Bay College – Veronica Williams, Autumn Smith, Madison Griffin, Claire McInerney, Shelby Martinucci, Karlie Ohman, Soren Thompson, and from Schoolcraft County: Nicole Syers, Brooke Dalgord and China Collison

$700 U.P. Garden Tractor Pullers Randy Irving – Briton Hall

$700 U.P. Garden Tractor Pullers Delores St. Cyr – Sophia Wessel

$500 I.S.D. Trades and Industry instructors – Bryce Viau and Kyle Darmogray

$500 VanAire Inc. Technical Skills – Brandon Kangas, Gavin Schwalbach and Jacob Worthen

$200 Bay View Truck and Auto Service – Briton Hall

$200 Professional Technicians of Delta County (funded by Eric Parrotta) – Samantha Tyson

$500 Engineered Machined Products – Soren Thompson and Charlie Wilson

$300 Northern Machining and Repair – Soren Thompson, Zack Bourdeau, Gavin Schwalbach and Charlie Wilson

$500 Sportsmen’s Off Road Vehicle Association (SORVA) – Wyatt Schwartz

$750 Christian Park Health Care Center – Samantha Wilson

$750 Christian Park Village – Kylie Anderson

$375 OSF St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group – Chloe Caswell and Peyton Rabitoy

$250 Rapid River Relic Riders – David Alvarado, Madison McPhee (Schoolcraft County)

$500 Kenneth and Patricia Gartland I.S.D. Construction – Blaine Reinhart and Tyler Cook

$250 Walmart Store – Mark Maeder

$300 Science Technology Engineering Math – Lucas Runkel

$200 Pam Malnar Memorial – Samantha Tyson

$500 JM Builder – Samantha Tyson and Justin VanDrese

$250 Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital – Fiona Wing and China Collison (Schoolcraft County)

$700 Lorraine Vaughn Memorial – Regina Moloney (Schoolcraft County)

$500 Student Leadership – Emily Baker (Schoolcraft County)

$500 Science Technology Engineering Math – Charles Schuetter (Schoolcraft County)

$50 DSISD Education Association – Morgan Rajala and Alexis Russell (Schoolcraft County)

$500 Delta Country Trades & Labor – Soren Thompson

$250 Steven Courier – Blaine Reinhart and Cassandra Krenek

$250 Kenneth and Patricia Gartland – Kyle Darmogray

$300 Kenneth Iverson Memorial Golf – Jordan Ahlgren

$500 Big Brothers Big Sisters/Tom Hughson – Veronica Williams

$350 Healthy Choices (funded by Suicide Prevention Task Force) – Emily Farkas-Nummilien and Madison Griffin

Individuals, groups, and businesses interested in offering a scholarship that would be awarded next spring can call Trent Bellingar at (906) 786-9300, ext. 345.