Members of the Pocahontas County High School class of 2011 received accolades for their achievements, as well as scholarships and awards at Senior Awards Night Thursday evening.

PCHS Principal Tom Sanders presented Valedictorian Jamie Boothe with the PCHS Scholastic Recognition Award of $100.

Salutatorians Kim Pollard and Ellie Bell received the W.E. ﾓTweardﾔ Blackhurst Award, presented by English teacher Bob Sheets in memory of Blackhurst, a noted conservationist, author and teacher.

The Top of the Mountain Award is presented to seniors who have maintained a 94 scholastic average and rank in the upper 10 percent of West Virginia Seniors on the ACT assessment. Ellie Bell, Jamie Boothe, Alex Cutlip, Danielle Mothes, Joe Rose and Khristian Smith received the award.

Sanders presented the honor graduates with medals they will wear during commencement. Honor graduates are: Ellie Bell, Katelynn Beverage, Jamie Boothe, Rachel Cain, Shonda Carr, Alex Cutlip, Seth Doss, Nathan Hamons, Janessa Hatfield, Cathy Hefner, Lakota Jonese, Payton Mann, Danielle Mothes, Logan Plumley, Kim Pollard, Alex Rodriguez-Smith, Amy Rose, Joe Rose, Aaron Sharp, Sarah Shears, Khristian Smith, Shelby Snead, Karen Wilfong and Clayton Wylie.

Seniors with a 4.0 GPA or higher are: Ellie Bell, Jamie Boothe, Rachel Cain, Shonda Carr, Nathan Hamons, Cathy Hefner, Payton Mann, Danielle Mothes, Kim Pollard, Joe Rose and Khristian Smith.

Timothy VanReenen presented the David E. Smith Award, a $100 savings bond given in honor of Smithﾒs 39 years of service to the students in Pocahontas County. The award, which recognizes a student for excellence in vocational education, was awarded to Noah Pugh.

The Anna Lee Dean Award is given in memory of Dean, who taught business education at Marlinton High School and PCHS. The $50 savings bond is presented to a student excelling in business education or the student organization Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Clay Wylie was presented the award by business education teacher Cammy Kesterson.

Will Bostic received the Orr Lee McMann Award of a $50 savings bond. The award is in memory of McMann, who taught agricultural education at MHS and PCHS. Linda Stewart awards the savings bond each year to an outstanding vocational agricultural student. The award was presented by her daughter, Suzanne.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory presents a $100 savings bond each year to the top science student or students in the graduating. Business manager Michael Holstine presented the award to Jamie Boothe.

Khristian Smith and Jamie Boothe were recognized for their participation in the state Young Writers Contest and Poetry Out Loud Contest, respectively.

Art teacher Diana Nelson recognized Noah Pugh and Felicia Sparks for their first place wins at the Evening with the Arts event.

Forty-seven seniors competed in the National Financial Capability Challenge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Department of Education. Scoring in the top 20 percent of the nation in this challenge were: Alicia Chastain, Zach Chestnut, Cathy Hefner, Mike Hensler, David Kiner, Kelsea Lane, Alex Rodriguez-Smith, Joe Rose, Aaron Sharp and Michelle Smith. Scoring in the top 10 percent of the nation were: Solomon Bostic, Kelsea Curry, Alex Cutlip and Adam Fuller.

Rachel Cain received an award from Jim VanReenen for participating in the Americanism Essay Contest sponsored by the Scottish Rite. Cain placed second on the state level.

The Sombrero Award for excellence in the promotion of Spanish at PCHS was presented to Nathan Hamons by Spanish teacher Mali Minter. Hamons excelled in Spanish through level five, hosted the Foreign Language Festival, had faithful attendance to all Spanish club and Spanish Honor Society meetings and traveled to Spain with the Spanish class.

Michelle Smith received a certificate for placing sixth on the National Spanish Exam.

For her cover design for the Foreign Language Festival program, Lena Taylor received $25.

Minter also recognized senior members of the Spanish Honor Society; Nathan Hamons ﾖ President, Kim Pollard ﾖ Vice President, Shonda Carr ﾖ Secretary, Rachel Cain ﾖ Treasurer, Ellie Bell, Jamie Boothe, Danielle Mothes, Joseph Rose, Aaron Sharp, Karen Wilfong and Cathy Hefner.

Yearbook Editors Shelby Snead, Mercedes Warner and Karen Wilfong were recognized by Cammy Kesterson for their leadership and accomplishments.

Kesterson also recognized senior members of FBLA; Jamie Boothe, Rachel Cain, Shonda Carr, Nathan Hamons and Karen Wilfong.

Three seniors placed at the state Skills USA contest this year. Noah Pugh placed third in carpentry, Justin Oscar placed third in Cisco Internet working and Alex Cutlip is president of the Chapter Business Procedure Team which placed first and will represent West Virginia at the National Skills USA conference in Kansas City, Missouri, in June.

Sanders recognized Nathan Hamons for his service as the student representative on the Pocahontas County Board of Education.

The Global 21 Performance assessments are designed to judge student abilities to apply specific knowledge and research skills in a ﾓhands-onﾔ platform. Receiving gold certificates were: Logan Plumley and Will Trainer in Electrical Technology; Clay Wylie in Office Administrative Support; Delton Lambert and Will Bostic in Power, Structural and Technical Systems; Alex Cutlip and Justin Oscar in CISCO Networking; Katelynn Beverage, Payton Mann, Sarah Shears and Katherine Weik in Plants Systems and Horticulture; Braxton Buzzard, Brian Dean, Timmy Gibb, Delton Lambert, Noah Pugh and Will Trainer in General Building Construction; and Will Bostic, Zach Chestnut, Seth Doss, Tanner Graham and Evan Rose in Natural Resources and Forestry.
Receiving silver certificates were: Brian Dean, Trey Hines, Seth Rexrode and Jake Ryder in Power, Structural and Technical Systems; Brian Cummins, Jacob Dunbrack, Steven Good, Matthew Hill and Richard Wanless in General Building Construction; and Timmy Gibb in Natural Resources and Forestry.

Members of the class of 2011 participated in the Gear Up Program in middle school. Through this initiative, students were able to earn money for college education. The total amount of money available, to be divided in varying amounts among the students, is $24,000. Those seniors are: Ellie Bell, Katelynn Beverage, Jamie Boothe, Will Bostic, Braxton Buzzard, Rachel Cain, Shonda Carr, Alicia Chastain, Brian Cummins, Kelsea Curry, Seth Doss, Jacob Dunbrack, Bekka Edens, Ian Galloway, Timmy Gibb, Steven Good, Ellett Gragg, Tanner Graham, Nathan Hamons, Janessa Hatfield, Tim Hayes, Cathy Hefner, Kelly Hendrick, Michael Hensler, Trey Hines, Jesse Hoke, Tiffany Jackson, Lakota Jonese, Kevin Keatley, Karen Keller, Kellie Keller, David Kiner, Kelsea Lane, Payton Mann, Bardley McMillion, Danielle Mothes, Justin Oscar, Logan Plumley, Kim Pollard, Medina Ramsey, Alex Rodriguez-Smith, Amy Rose, Evan Rose, Joe Rose, Jake Ryder, Lee Ryder, Aaron Sharp, Clara Shay, Merandia Shinaberry, Khristain Smith, Michelle Smith, Shelby Snead, Felicia Sparks, Will Trainer, Jessica Varner, Richard Wanless, Mercedes Warner, Karen Wilfong, Morgan Williamson and Clay Wylie.

Attendance Director Susan Borror recognized students with perfect and faithful attendance. Kelsea Curry and Joe Rose had perfect attendance. Seniors with faithful attendance, missing five days or less, were: Will Bostic, Alex Cutlip, Adam Fuller, Kelly Hendrick, Justin Oscar, Kim Pollard, Seth Rexrode, Shelby Snead, Katherine Weik, Karen Wilfong and Clatyon Wylie.

Attorney J.L. Clifton presented framed posters and certificates to senior athletes who participated in the ﾓWarriors Above the Influenceﾔ poster program, sponsored by the Pocahontas County Prevention Coalition. Those athletes were: Kim Pollard, Lakota Jonese, Merandia Shinaberry, Seth Doss and Nathan Hamons.

The Promise Scholarship is awarded to seniors planning to attend college in West Virginia and who have attained a 3.0 GPA in core classes and earned a composite score of 22 on the ACT and a 20 in each of the sub-scores. Receiving the scholarship are: Ellie Bell, Jamie Boothe, Rachel Cain, Kelsey Curry, Alex Cutlip, Seth Doss, Adam Fuller, Nathan Hamons, Payton Mann, Danielle Mothes, Kim Pollard, Jose Rose, Alex Rodriguez-Smith, Aaron Sharp and Khristian Smith.

Staff Sergeant Bailey, of the United States Army, honored seniors Josh Parrish, David Kiner, Justin Oscar and Junior Caleb Walkup. These four students will participate in basic training this summer.

Sergeant James T. Ready, of the United States Marine Corps, presented awards to Jamie Boothe, Khristian Smith, Evan Rose and Shelby Snead.

The Davis & Elkins College Upward Bound Programs are college preparatory programs serving Randolph, Barbour, Tucker, Pendleton and Pocahontas counties. The following students received the Bridge scholarship, worth more than $4,500 per student. Nathan Hamons, Janessa Hatfield, Cathy Hefner, Danielle Mothes, Mirandia Shinaberry, Shelby Snead, Karen Wilfong and Dawn Wright.

Receiving the Mid-Eastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnelﾒs scholarship in the amount of $1,00o and the West Virginia TRiO scholarship in the amount of $500 was Cathy Hefner.

The Associated Universities scholarship is a four-year competitive scholarship in the amount of $3,500 and is awarded to three children of employees located in the various AUI sites around the world. Mike Holstine presented the scholarship to Logan Plumley.

The American Red Cross Scholarship was presented to Karen Wilfong for her dedication as a donor recruiter for the American Red Cross.

The Albert Yanni Scholarship, which recognizes outstanding secondary career and technical education graduates who wish to pursue additional education at the postsecondary level in the same or related career field, was presented to Payton Mann.

Cathy Hefner was presented the Horatio Alger Association to an American Electric Power Foundation Scholarship, by social studies teacher Sherman Taylor.

Seth Doss received the A. Michael Perry Scholarship, which is awarded to first-time freshmen at Marshall University with an ACT Composite score between 21 and 23 and a 3.5 or higher GPA.

West Virginia Wesleyan College presented the Wesleyan Merit Award of $11,000 per year, renewable for up to four years and the Mason Crickard Scholarship in the amount of $48,000 to Tanner Graham.

Joe Rose received the Residential Scholarship and the Board of Governorﾒs Institutional Scholar from Concord University, where he will begin college in the fall.

The James C. Ryder, Jr. Scholarship is given in memory of ﾓJimmy,ﾔ who was a 1977 graduate of PCHS and school custodian for 32 years. Elizabeth Arbogast and Alex Cutlip were both awarded the $1,000 scholarship.

Ian Galloway received the Bland Memorial Scholarship, a $500 award in memory of Sr. Trooper Douglas Wayne Bland, who lost his life serving the citizens of Pocahontas County.

The Dr. Charles Glen Shinaberry and Dr. Mary Tabitha Moore Shinaberry Public Scholarship Trust was founded to honor the years of service given by the Shinaberrys to the education of students in Pocahontas and Randolph counties. Receiving the scholarship were: Rachel Cain, Shonda Carr, Zach Chestnut, Ryan Croston, Alex Cutlip, Seth Doss, Nathan Hamons, Janessa Hatfield, Cathy Hefner, Lakota Jonese, Payton Mann, Logan Plumley, Amy Rose, Joe Rose, Aaron Sharp, Sarah Shears, Shelby Snead, Mercedes Warner, Karen Wilfong and Clay Wylie.

The Marlinton Lions Club Scholarship was presented to Cathy Hefner and Shonda Carr.

Kelly Hendrick was awarded the $500 H.A. Yeager Scholarship, which honors Yeager, a long-time principal of Marlinton High School.

The Dr. Roland Sharp scholarship is awarded to students entering the fields of dentistry, veterinarian, agriculture or education. Sarah Shears was presented the $1,000 scholarship.

Ellie Bell received the Seneca Woodlands and Marlinton Womenﾒs Club scholarship. Finalists Amy Rose and Kim Pollard were also given a gift for their service to the county.

The Lloyd/White Scholarship and Pathfinders Scholarship are given by the High Rocks Education Corporation to students who have participated in High Rocks over the last four years. The Lloyd/White Scholarship was given to Amy Rose, Kelsea Lane and Kelsea Curry. The Pathfinders Scholarship went to Amry Rose, Kelsea Lane, Kelsea Curry and Ellie Bell.

Kelsea Curry received the Raymond and Eva Shrader Scholarship.

The Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau awards a $1,000 scholarship to a student pursuing a career in travel and tourism. The award was presented to xxx.

The Pioneer Days Scholarship was presented to Katelynn Beverage, who is the reigning Miss Pocahontas.

Nathan Hamons and Kim Pollard received the Citizens National Bank scholarship.

Ellie Bell received the $1,000 Foodland scholarship.

The Pocahontas Community Club scholarship was presented to Logan Plumley.

The Shelly Helmick Memorial Scholarship is presented to a student pursuing a degree in education at a West Virginia college or university. Shonda Carr received the $1,000 scholarship.

The Loren Buzzard Scholarship was established as a memorial for Loren, a member of the PCHS class of 2008, who died just a few weeks before his graduation. Lorenﾒs mother, Diane and 2010 recipient Mark Egan presented the scholarship to Kelsea Lane and an honorable mention scholarship to Adam Fuller.

Danielle Mothes received the $750 Tucker Community Endowment Scholarship, which is in memory of Dr. Joseph Stefl, a physicianﾒs assistant in Pocahontas, Randolph and Tucker counties.

The Les and Verna Evans Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000 each, was presented to Rachel Cain and Kelsea Curry.

Ellie Bell received the Leopold and Elizabeth Marmet Scholarship in the amount of $3,150.

The W.P. Black Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000, was awarded to Cathy Hefner.

The Virgil and Macel Harris Scholarship is presented to a student by the Durbin Lions Club in memory of the Harrises who served as educators in the county. The award was presented to Rachel Cain.

Janessa Hatfield received the Alice Rowan Waugh Memorial Scholarship, in the amount of $300. The scholarship honors the memory of Waugh, a well-known educator.

The Mrs. Emma Beard Memorial scholarship is presented to students pursuing a degree in education. Receiving the award were: Tiffany Jackson, Kelsea Lane, Noah Pugh and Elizabeth Arbogast.

Rachel Cain received the Pocahontas County Board of Education scholarship.

The Cobb Family Scholarship is a new award established to assist students pursing their post-secondary education. Receiving the scholarship were: Ellie Bell, Jamie Boothe, Rachel Cain, Shonda Carr, Kelsea Curry, Seth Doss, Adam Fuller, Tanner Graham, Nathan Hamons, Kelly Hendrick, Lakota Jonese, Payton Mann, Kim Pollard, Alex Rodriguez-Smith, Amy Rose, Aaron Sharp, Sarah Shears, Shelby Snead, Karen Wilfong and Clay Wylie.

The Gay and Becky Shinaberry Scholarship and the Beth Buck Scholarship were awarded to Cathy Hefner.

PCHS Super Scholars were recognized for their academic achievements and presented plaques. Freshmen: Dustin Dilley, Wesley Felton, Clay Friel, Fredricah Gardner, Lyndsee Gay, Amanda Gibson, Jessalyn Hamilton, Emily Hefner, Allison Jonese, Dayla Lambert, Linzi Myers, Haley Nelson, Hannah Nelson, Lorena Rose, David Stennes and Sarah Worth.

Sophomores: Tiffanie Alexander, Kristen Beverage, Shanna Carr, Andrew Gibb, Derek Hamman, Clayton Irvine, Andrew Mengele, Alyssa Nottingham, Gabriel Walkup, Samantha Walton, Parker White and Olivia Workman.

Juniors: Lyndsey Barlow, Chloe Bland, Summer Chestnut, Seth Morgan, Erica Rebinski, Chelsea Walker, Caleb Walkup and Erin White.

Seniors: Elizabeth Arbogast, Ellie Bell, Jamie Boothe, Rachel Cain, Kelsea Curry, Cathy Hefner, Payton Mann, Danielle Mothes, Kim Pollard, Aaron Sharp, Khristian Smith and Shelby Snead.

The National Honor Society officers for 2011-2012 were announced: President, Lyndsey Barlow; Vice President, Summer Chestnut; Secretary, Erin White; and Treasurer, Caleb Walkup.

The awards evening was hosted by the National Honor Society with sponsorship from City National Bank, First Citizens Bank and Pendleton Community Bank.

Senior members of NHS are: Kim Pollard ﾖ President, Nathan Hamons ﾖ Vice President, Jamie Boothe ﾖ Secretary, Ellie Bell ﾖ Treasurer, Katelynn Beverage, Rachel Cain, Shonda Carr, Seth Doss, Tanner Graham, Cathy Hefner, Lakota Jonese, Payton Mann, Danielle Mothes, Logan Plumley, Alex Rodriguez-Smith, Amy Rose, Evan Rose, Joe Rose, Sarah Shears, Khristian Smith, Shelby Snead, Mercedes Warner, Karen Wilfong and Clay Wylie.

Junior members are: Lyndsey Barlow, Chloe Bland, Summer Chestnut, Alex Griffith, Lindsey Kinder, Seth Morgan, Andy Myers, Erica Rebinski, Chasten Taylor, Chelsea Walker, Caleb Walkup and Erin White.