DARKE COUNTY — With high school graduation ceremonies approaching, most of Darke County’s high schools have announced their students at the top of the class as their valedictorians and salutatorians. Following are the schools, the day and time of their commencement exercises and information on each school’s honored academic achievers.
Arcanum: Sunday, June 5, 2 p.m.
Valedictorian Alexis Kreusch: Parents are Daniel and Susan Kreusch. National Honor Society (NHS) – 3 years, SADD – 2 years, FBLA – 3 years, FCCLA – 1 year, Project MORE – 2 years, student aide – 2 years, Student of the Month, Top Ten – 4 years, prom court, track & field (captain) – 4×200 record, sprinter of the team, cheerleading (captain) – fair winner, perfect attendance – 2 years, scholar athlete – 4 years, OSU Math Medal, 4-H Club – 10 Year Award, Dance – 10 Year Award. Alexis will attend Wright State University to major in English with the hopes to go into teaching or journalism. Will also participate on the dance team, Emerald Jazz.
Salutatorian Holly Grosch: Parents are Randy and Nancy Grosch. NHS – 3 years, FCCLA – 1 year, Project MORE – 4 years, Student of the Month – 4 years, Top Ten – 4 years, homecoming and prom court, leadership committee, softball – 2 years. Holly plans to attend Wright State University, majoring in Early Childhood Education.
Bradford: Saturday, May 28, 2:30 p.m.
Valedictorian Kelly Moore: Parents are Michael and Jenny Moore. 4.04 cumulative GPA. Basketball – 4 years, softball – 2 years, track & field – 2 years, cheerleading – 4 years, NHS – 3 years (secretary – 2 years), yearbook – 3 years. Kelly plans on attending the Ohio State University as a biology major and a member of the Mount Leadership Society scholars program.
Valedictorian Drew Patty: Parents are Randy and Teresa Patty. 4.04 cumulative GPA. Football – 4 years, basketball – 4 years, NHS – 3 years (president – 1 year), class treasurer – 4 years. Drew plans to attend Miami University’s Farmer School of Business and major in either Business Management or Business Marketing.
Salutatorian Mackenzie Weldy: Parents are Kathy and Bud Weldy. 3.98 cumulative GPA. Volleyball – 4 years, basketball – 4 years, track & field – 4 years, NHS – 3 years (vice president – 2 years), class officer – 4 years, Impact youth group – 6 years. Mackenzie plans to go to Thailand in the summer for a veterinary service course/mission trip, and in the fall major in Animal Sciences at The University of Findlay in hopes of becoming a large/exotic animal vet.
Franklin-Monroe: Saturday, May 28, 7 p.m.
Valedictorian Carrie Baker: Volleyball – 4 years, (first team, all conference & district honorable mention), softball – 4 years (second team, all conference), basketball – 3 years (honorable mention all conference), class officer – 2 years, NHS – 2 years, student council – 4 years, academic team – 4 years, Spanish club – 2 years, yearbook club – year, student tutoring – 1 year, College Credit Plus – 2 years, Business Professional Association – 1 year, homecoming court – 1 year, prom candidate – 2 years, prom queen, Honda Math Medal Award, Franklin B. Walters All Scholastic Award, Edison State Community College Outstanding Student Award, Edison State Associates of Science Degree. Carrie will be going to Lee University with a Presidential and Leadership scholarship to study Biochemistry with a premed emphasis.
Salutatorian Reed Denlinger: NHS – 2 years, College Credit Plus – 2 years. Reed will be going to Wright State University with a salutatorian scholarship for full tuition in Engineering.
Greenville: Saturday, June 4, 7 p.m.
Valedictorian Francesca Masso-Rivetti: Has a weighted GPA of 4.875. “On a Roll” Character Award, November 2015 Student of the Month, AP Scholar with Honors, Grand Prize – Darke County Science Day, Best Abstract Award – Darke County Science Day, Behavioral and Social Sciences Award – 2 years – Darke County Science Day American Psychological Association Award, Project Exhibition at Ohio State Science Day – 4 years, First Place in Computer Science and Information Technology – Ohio Youth STEM Entrepreneurship Competition, Guest Speaker – Science Education Council of Ohio Quiz Bowl – 3 years, science club – 4 years, Wavelength staff – 4 years, NHS – 2 years, Dayton Philharmonic Youth Strings – 2 years, Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra – 1 year, Youth Group Leader – St. Mary’s Parish – 3 years. In addition, her community service projects and volunteer work include being a Volunteer Music Minister at St. Mary’s Parish for 6 years, participating in Seasonal Gift Delivery with the St. Mary’s Parish Youth Group for 4 years, and participating in the Music Outreach Program with the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Strings for 2 years. Francesca will attend The Ohio State University and major in Neuroscience.
Salutatorian Quintin Muhlenkamp: Has a weighted GPA of 4.586. Cross country – 4 years, swimming – 1 year, tennis – 4 years, French club – 3 years, Varsity G – 3 years, science club – 4 years, art club – 2 years, yearbook – 1 year, Science Fair – 3 years, Envirothon – 1 year, NHS – 2 years (current vice president), National Technical Honor Society – 2 years (current president), Greenville Career Tech Student of the Month – December, Kiwanis Student of the Month – February, Highest Honor Roll – 4 years, academician – 4 years, Senatorial citation – 4 years, First place in Earth and Sciences – UMVSD. Additional service projects include Teens 4 Jeans, canned food drive, YOLO Race, Maple Syrup Festival, Prairie Days, FISH food bank, and the Grace Resurrection Community Center. In another areas of achievement, Quintin has artwork chosen for the Darke County Art Show, and qualified for the State Science Fair the past two years. He is planning to attend Wittenberg University and major in Geology.
Mississinawa Valley: Friday, May 27, 7 p.m.
Valedictorian Leslie Dirksen: FFA – 4 years, FFA President, NHS – 4 years, class president – 4 years, student council – 4 years, Student Council President, Taiko – 8 years, Volleyball – 4 years, Basketball – 4 years, Softball – 4 years, Jackson Friendship 4-H Club – 11 years, SADD – 4 years, Sandy’s School of Dance – 13 years, CCC Academic Award – 4 years, Honda OSU Math Medal Recipient, State FFA Degree, Volleyball and Softball school records, FFA Star Greenhand Award, Straight A’s – 4 years.
Salutatorian Kasey Hummel: Volleyball – 4 years, Softball – 3 years, Bowling – 2 years, Basketball – 1 year, student council – 4 years, class vice president – 4 years, FFA – 4 years, FFA Officer Team – 2 years, NHS – 2 years, Taiko – 4 years, SADD – 4 years, Sandy’s School of Dance – 4 years, Foreign Language Club – 1 year, FFA Star Chapter Farmer, FFA Greenhand, Chapter and State Degrees, FFA Chapter Scholarship Award, prom queen.
Tri-Village: Saturday, June 4, 6 p.m.
Valedictorian Casey Puckett: Casey is the son of Chris and Kim Puckett of Greenville. He will attend Kettering University in Flint Michigan majoring in Mechanical Engineering.
Valedictorian Zachariah Bevins: Zachariah is the son of Dwight and Corine Bevins of Greenville. He will attend Cedarville University in Cedarville Ohio majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Salutatorian Sarah Witmer: Sarah is the daughter of Max and Vicki Witmer of New Madison. She will attend The University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio majoring in Biology with a pre-med focus. She plans to receive her Masters Degree in the Physician’s Assistant Program. She was in the Allied Health program while attending Miami Valley Career Technology Center.
Ansonia and Versailles have not announced their valedictorians or salutatorians. Both schools will hold their commencement exercises on Sunday, May 29. Ansonia’s graduation ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m., while Versailles will hold its ceremony at 1:30 p.m.
