As graduation approaches, many seniors look forward to Senior Awards Night where their academic achievements- awards and local scholarships- will be announced to friends and family. Due to the worldwide pandemic, this gathering was not able to happen in person, but rather through an online video.
Starting early in the school year, seniors were encouraged to apply for scholarships through emails in Naviance. Many scholarships required essays or letters of recommendations, but seniors would not know if they obtained the scholarship until the awards night.
“I would say it was a little stressful putting in all the effort in applying and not knowing if I would get rewarded for it,” senior Jaden Anton said said
Seniors who earned a scholarship would normally attend a ceremony one day after school to get these awards. However, this year they received letters in the mail describing the dates and times the results would be available.
“I was very excited when I received my letter, I felt like all my hard work from senior year had finally paid off,” senior Mariah McDonald said.
For many seniors they did not know if they had received the scholarship until they watched the video with their family.
“When we saw my picture, we shouted with joy and I jumped up from my seat,” senior Becca Meyer said. “I’m excited to receive any support I can for my future so these meant a lot to me
While many enjoyed seeing the ceremony in person, students are still happy they are being recognized for their hard work
“Everyone deserves to get recognized and I’m glad they decided to do it online,” Anton said. “It would have been great to do it in person, but I liked how this way more people from the community could watch it. I had friends, family and a few people who wrote me letters of recommendations that were able to watch and that meant a lot to me.”

Local Scholarship Award winners include:
Sawyer Mock- Ethan D. Lichti Memorial
Kayla Anderson- Frank & Betty Torline Scholarship
Becca Meyer- Frank & Betty Torline Scholarship, Ben Davis Courage and perseverance Award
Mariah McDonald- Katherine Hanna Memorial Trust, Snapp Family Scholarship, Denise Lynn Oursler Memorial, White Eagle Credit Union, Vince Garcia Community Service Scholarship, Women of the Year Scholarship
Jaden Anton- Newton Rotary Scholarship, Nygaard Family Scholarship, P.E.O Chapter IA Women’s Scholarship
Henry Claassen- Newton Rotary Scholarship
Eli Regier- Jean and Virginia Coleman Scholarship, Fine Arts Booster Club Scholarship, Treble Clef of Newton Scholarship, Leonard and Alma Nelson Scholarship
Hanna Brown- Nygaard Family Scholarship
Joshua Kennell- Snapp Family Scholarship, Newton NEA Scholarship
Ashley Salgado- Snapp Family Scholarship, Brian Arellano Memorial Scholarship, Newton Lions Club Scholarship
Ellen Miller-Garrett- Clark and Betty Whiting Scholarship, P.E.O Chapter IA Women’s Scholarship
Zachary Engelken- Claude M Rhoades and Ida C. Rhoades Scholarship, Curtis Fischer Memorial Scholarship, Newton All Sports Booster Club,
Schyler Entz- Regina (Starr) Esau Scholarship, Teresa Blatchley Conkey Memorial Scholarship, Newton All Sports Booster Club
Joey Gile- Treble Clef of Newton Scholarship
Fletcher Hummingbird- Ben Davis Courage and Perseverance Award
Joshua Edson- JJ Thaw II Athletic Scholarship
Emily Brandt- Newton Babe Ruth Scholarship
John Jantzen- E.S. Sanders Scholarship,
Megan Symmonds- Newton NEA Scholarship
Annika Senn- National FFA Scholarship- AGCO Manufacturing Local Plants Scholarship
Ricardo Lopez-Correa- Community National Bank