Top: Maddie Simpson receives a Distinguished Athlete Award from Principal Bray Shamblin. Bottom left: Joseph Woodall being awarded the Marine’s Distinguished Athlete Award from Shamblin. Bottom right: Josh Henry receives the National Wild Turkey Federation Scholarship, presented by Shamblin.
MERCERVILLE — South Gallia High School is celebrating the graduating class of 2017.
On Tuesday evening, graduating seniors and their families met at the Mercerville Baptist Church for a dinner that was followed by an awards ceremony. At the ceremony 32 separate scholarships were awarded totaling $346,967 towards post secondary education.
The scholarships came from a variety of organizations; several branches of the military, Gallipolis Junior Women’s Club, United Producers Inc., the University of Rio Grande, and several other community groups and memorial scholarship funds.
A number of students also earned training certificates from Buckeye Hills Career Center, preparing them for a career with necessary skills. 12 students in total earned over 50 certificates from BHCC ranging from HVAC to phlebotomy and cosmetology. Several BHCC students also earned scholarships to continue their education.
Several coveted awards were bestowed during the evening as well. Maddie Simpson won the Wendy’s High School Heisman School Award, OHSAA Scholar Athlete Award, the Franklin B. Walter All-Scholastic Award, as well as being named valedictorian. Awards for Presidential Outstanding Academic Excellence were given to five students, four of whom earned Honors Diplomas from the Ohio Department of Education.
Graduation will be held Saturday, May 27 at 10:30 a.m. at the South Gallia High School Football Field.
Academic Scholarship Awards were as follows:
URG Provost Scholarship, Autumn Norris $7500
URG Jake Bapst Scholarship, Josh Henry $7500
Airforce Signed, Bryan Caudill, GI Bill $96,000, $27,000 Tuition assistance
National Wild Turkey Federation Scholarship, Josh Henry $250
Gallipolis Junior Women’s Club Scholarship, Maddie Simpson $1,000
United Producers Scholarship, Josh Henry $1,000
Marine Distinguished Athlete, Maddie Simpson and Joseph Woodall
Marine Scholastic Excellence, Dane Griffith and Maddie Simpson
Marine Semper Fidelis Music, Elijah Warner and Haley Johnson
Gallia County Local Schools Support Staff Scholarship, Josh Henry $250
Jaret Rae Boothe Memorial Scholarship, Maddie Simpson $500
South Gallia Athletic Boosters Scholarship, Josh Henry and Maddie Simpson $250 each
Lion’s Club Scholarship, Maddie Simpson $500
Leo Scholarship, Illyssa Saunders $250
Holzer Science Award, Maddie Simpson $300
Ohio Valley Electric Corporation-Kyger Creek Science Scholarship, Illyssa Saunders $350
National Honor Society Scholarship, Maddie Simpson $2,325
B.J. Hariston Nursing Scholarship, Kaylee Sturgill $250
Rotary Scholarship, Josh Henry $750
Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Ohio, Maddie Simpson $1200
M&G Scholarship, Dane Griffith $1,000
Moody Acceptance Scholarship, Elijah Warner $42,000
Agriculture Technical Institute Scholarship, Josh Henry $1,000
Ohio University Northern Deans Scholarship, Joseph Woodall $17,000
Marshall University Board of Governors Scholarship, Maddie Simpson $12,000
Marshall University Tuition Achievement Award, Maddie Simpson $16,000
McDonald’s Scholarship, Illyssa Saunders $200
Delma Roush Ohio State University ATI Scholarship, Josh Henry $92,342
American Legion Americanism Contest Winner, Maddie Simpson $250
Northern Kentucky Merit Based Scholarship, Haley Johnson $12,000
Katherin Williams Gallia County Retired Teachers Association Education Scholarship, Maddie Simpson $500
Glenn and Janet Wenz Scholarship, Josh Henry $1,000
Friends of South Gallia Scholarship, Dane Griffith $1,000
Brent and Teresa Eastman 4-H Scholarship, Josh Henry $2,000
Academic Excellence Scholarship, Dane Griffith and Maddie Simpson $250 each.
Academic and Athletic Awards were as follows:
Wendy’s High School Heisman School Award, Maddie Simpson
Herald Dispatch 2017 All Tri-State Football Team-Marshall Sports Medicine Institute, Johnny Sheets
OHSAA State Award, Johnathan Sheets
OHSAA Scholar Athlete Award, Maddie Simpson and Joseph Woodall
OSHAA Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award, David Kuhn and Maddie Simpson
OHSAA Award of Excellence, Joshua Henry and Haley Johnson
WSAZ-TV Best of Class, Maddie Simpson
Franklin B. Walter All-Scholastic Award, Maddie Simpson
Honors Diploma form Ohio Department of Education: Dane Griffith, Haley Johnson, Illyssa Saunders, Maddie Simpson
Presidential Outstanding Academic Excellence Award: Autumn Norris, Maddie Simpson, Illyssa Saunders, Dane Griffith, Haley Johnson.
Presidential Award for Academic Achievement: Josh Henry, Jacob Hitchcock, Virgil Watson, Joseph Woodall, Austin Triplett, Elijah Warner, Mariah Chapman, Jacob Brumfield, Damon Hill, David Kuhn, Jenna Taylor, Kaylee Sturgill, Johnathan Sheets.
Valedictorian, Maddie Simpson
Salutatorian, Dane Griffith
Key to the City of Mercerville, Autumn Norris and Lucas Chung.
Reach Morgan McKinniss at 740-446-2342 ext 2108.
