Contact: Jenni Brockman
Telephone: 804-443-3357
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Students Honored at SMS Awards Banquet

Tappahannock (June 10, 2002)- St. Margaret's School students from the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula were among those recognized for their educational accomplishments during the 2001-2002 year at the school's recent academic awards banquet. Honorees included three rising seniors who won college prizes that make them eligible for special scholarship consideration if they apply to and are accepted by the sponsoring institutions.

  Photo left: - St. Margaret's School seniors earning Presidential Educational Awards were recognized at a recent academic awards banquet. Shown with Director of Studies ViAnn Farmer are (left to right) Heather Porter of Walkerton, Carter Holloway, Shu Jin, Olivia Longest of Tappahannock, Kelly Proctor of Urbanna, and Rachelle Slotnick of Tappahannock. Not pictured: Sarah Taliaferro of Center Cross and boarding students Anne Czechanski, Katie Herrick and Virginia King.

Madison Barkley, daughter of Mr. William and Mrs. Dolores Barkley of Hague, was nominated for the Wofford College Scholars Program. Wofford Scholars must be in the top 10 percent of their class, have scored at least 1100 on the SAT, and possess commendable character, scholarship, leadership and service to others.

Blair Fisher, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Fisher of Lottsburg, won the Randolph-Macon Woman's College Book Award. The Richmond chapter of the RMWC Alumnae Association presents this award to a student who possesses both leadership and academic potential. Three current SMS faculty/staff are graduates of the institution.

Lindsay Neist, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Terrance Neist of Howertons, was selected for the Converse College Junior Scholars Award. Converse Junior Scholars must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 and SAT scores of at least 1100.

Five local girls were among the 10 seniors recognized with gold or silver Presidential Educational Awards for high academic achievement. Gold seal winners achieve a grade point average of 90 or above and score at or above the 85th percentile on standardized academic tests.

The gold seal winners were: Olivia Longest, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Longest, Jr., of Tappahannock; Kelly Proctor, daughter of Ms. Martha Heric of Urbanna and Mr. Daniel Proctor of Smithfield; and Rachelle Slotnick, daughter of Susan Latner of Tappahannock.

Silver seal winners meet one of the two gold seal criteria. Local students earning silver seal awards included Heather Porter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Porter of Walkerton, and Sarah Taliaferro, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Taliaferro of Center Cross.

Longest and Taliaferro also were tapped for membership in the Quill and Scroll journalism honor society and Porter and Taliaferro were recognized for the excellence of their senior speeches.

In addition, each academic department presented awards for outstanding achievement or academic recognition to as many as two students in each of the school's more than 65 courses. Local winners included: Madison Barkley of Hague, academic recognition in Great Books; Lauren Crockett of Irvington, academic recognition in Twentieth-Century History; Shannon Davis of Tappahannock, academic recognition in Latin IV and Math Analysis; Taylor Ellis of Dunnsville, most outstanding in Advanced Placement English I, Latin II and advanced art, and academic recognition in U.S. History; Blair Fisher of Lottsburg, academic recognition in Twentieth-Century History; Claire Hopkins of Oak Grove, academic recognition in Spanish III; Allison Johnson of Aylett, most outstanding in Latin I and academic recognition in American Literature and Composition, Geometry and World History II; and Neillee Katona of Dunnsville, most outstanding in Algebra II and French II, and academic recognition in Biology, Health and World Literature and Composition.

Also: Olivia Longest of Tappahannock, most outstanding in Advanced Biology, Calculus and Latin IV; Erin Martin of Callao, most outstanding in English 8 and academic recognition in Science 8; Heather Porter of Walkerton, most outstanding in Latin V and Vocal Ensemble; Kelly Proctor of Urbanna, most outstanding in Latin III and academic recognition in Advanced Placement English II; Maggie Ransone of Kilmarnock, most outstanding in Music History and academic recognition in Government; Ruth Redfearn of Kinsale, most outstanding in Spanish IV/V; Sarah Reilly of Walkerton, most outstanding in Civics; Kate Rice of Tappahannock, most outstanding in Studio Art I and academic recognition in Music History; Jessica Stokes of Dunnsville, most outstanding in Introduction to Old Testament and academic recognition in World History I; Allison Smith of Warsaw, academic recognition in Latin III; Sarah Taliaferro of Center Cross, academic recognition in Advanced Biology, Vocal Ensemble and Health; Brittany Walker of Callao, academic recognition in British Literature and Composition; and Palmer Ware of Dunnsville, academic recognition in World History I, French II and Biology.

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