Rock Port R-II School Class of 2022 valedictorian was Aubrey Watkins, left. Kate Ottmann, right, was salutatorian.

Rock Port R-II School Class of 2022 valedictorian was Aubrey Watkins, left. Kate Ottmann, right, was salutatorian.

The top 10 seniors of the RPHS Class of 2022, from left to right, were: Carsyn Sybert, 10th; Jada Maifeld, 9th; Colten Stevens, 8th; Macie Hale, 7th; Angylena Owens, 6th; Holden Farmer, 5th; Tayleigh Huntley, 4th; Kierstyn Jakub, 3rd; Katelyn Ottmann, salutatorian; and Aubrey Watkins, valedictorian.

Mary Kahn, right, presented the American Legion Scholarship to Addison Lair, left.

Macie Hale receives her diploma from Jeremy Davis, school board president.

Rock Port seniors celebrate their graduation with party poppers.

Erika Elam, left, and Tayleigh Huntley, right, share a signature handshake before they depart.

Corwyn Herron, left, and Christian Sticken, right, enter the gym for graduation.

Rock Port R-II School held commencement exercises for the Class of 2022 Sunday, May 15, 2022, at Rock Port High School.

Graduates included: Ryan Dale Bradley, Shelby Lynn Duncan, Erika Elisha Elam, Holden Blu Farmer, Macie Jo Hale, Corwyn Nathaniel Herron, Tayleigh Reese Huntley, Kierstyn Elizabeth Jakub, Addison Michelle Lair, Jada Grace Maifeld, Hayden Justin Morriss, Katelynn Zeta Ottmann, Angylena Grace Owens, Hayley Michelle Palmer, Toby Allen Rogers, Colten Dale Stevens, Christian Joseph Sticken, Carsyn Jailynn Marie Sybert, and Aubrey Nicole Watkins.

The class motto was “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.”  by Ralph Waldo Emerson. The class colors were royal blue and gold, and the class flower was a playa blanca rose.

National Honor Society members were Holden Farmer, Macie Hale, Tayleigh Huntley, Kierstyn Jakub, Katelynn Ottmann, Angylena Owens, Colten Stevens, and Aubrey Watkins

Class officers were: Erika Elam, president; Colten Stevens, vice-president; Aubrey Watkins, secretary; Katelyn Ottmann, treasurer; Holden Farmer and Kierstyn Jakub, Student Council; Colten Stevens, student body president; Tayleigh Huntley, student body vice-president; Holden Farmer, student body treasurer; and Aubrey Watkins, student body secretary.

Class sponsors were Megan Bebb, Jeremy Palmer, and Jennifer Vogler.

Ushers were Morgan Cofer, Kylie Nuckolls, Phillip Herron, and Brecken Kelly.

Seniors entered to “Pomp & Circumstance.” Dr. Ethan Sickels, Superintendent, welcomed those present.

Mr. Donnie Parsons was the guest speaker.

Scholarships and awards were presented by Dr. Sickels, Mr. Donnie Parsons, High School Principal, and Mrs. Shauna Farmer, Counselor.

The top 10 seniors of the class of 2022 were recognized. They were: Carsyn Sybert, 10th; Jada Maifeld, 9th; Colten Stevens, 8th; Macie Hale, 7th; Angylena Owens, 6th; Holden Farmer, 5th; Tayleigh Huntley, 4th; Kierstyn Jakub, 3rd; Katelyn Ottmann, salutatorian (based on a 4-point weighted scale, with a cumulative grade point average of 4.5532); and Aubrey Watkins, valedictorian (with a cumulative grade point average of 4.7081).

Diplomas were presented by Mr. Jeremy Davis, School Board President, and Mrs. Joanna Burke, School Board member, and Mr. Regan Griffin, School Board member.

Members of the Class of 2022, their plans and awards received were as follows:

Shelby Duncan attended Northwest Vocational Technical School in Maryville for one year studying Child Development. Shelby plans to utilize her MWSU Griffon Scholarship to attend Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, and will major in Business and minor in Psychology.

Corwyn Herron received a two-year vocational certificate from Northwest Technical School in Maryville. He began in the Automotive Mechanics program his junior year. Corwyn received a First Baptist Church of Tarkio scholarships. He will be attending the John Deere Tech Certification program at Southeast Community College in Milford, Nebraska.

Toby Kish completed a two-year certification program at Northwest Technical School. Toby has become an accomplished welder and will use those skills to enter the workforce.

Christian Sticken was awarded the American Legion Senior Male Citizenship Award and the Male MSHSAA High School Award of Excellence at the high school assembly. Northwest Missouri State University is awarding Christian the NWMSU Merit Cultural Enrichment Scholarship. Christian will attend Northwest in the fall and major in Computer Science/Technology.

Ryan Bradley has received the Northwest Missouri State University National Merit Scholarship. Ryan will become a Northwest Bearcat and will major in either Biology or Psychology.

Erika Elam is an A+ student. Students in A+ program must document 50 hours of tutoring or mentoring, achieve 95% cumulative attendance over four years, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and be a good citizen in the community and at school. A+ graduates may use their grant benefits at any A+ Missouri public community college or technical or vocational school. The benefits will help with the cost of fees or the completion of a degree program, whichever comes first. Erika also received the Rock Port Beta Gals Community Scholarship and the Rock Port CTA $500 educational scholarship. Erika has received a four-year Warren and Evalyn Morgan Scholarship. Warren and Evalyn were farmers in the Watson area for several years, and Evalyn was a teacher.  They valued education and helping students achieve their educational goals. Their charitable trust has been able to help many Atchison County students. Northwest Missouri State University has awarded Erika a renewable National Merit Scholarship. Erika will attend Northwest in the fall and major in Special Education.

Addison Lair received the American Legion Scholarship, the Rock Port FFA Scholarship, and a Warren and Evalyn Morgan Scholarship for four-year college students. Addison will be traveling north to Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota, to pursue a degree in Wildlife Biology and Grassland Ecology with an emphasis in the rescue and rehabilitation of birds of prey.

Hayley Palmer will be attending Peru State College and plans to major in Psychology or Elementary Education.

Hayden Morriss attended culinary school at the Northwest Technical School in Maryville and plans to go straight to work after graduation.

Carsyn Sybert will be attending Peru State College in the fall and will be majoring in Biology or Chemistry and will minor in Journalism.

Jada Maifeld was the recipient of the Peru State College Cooperating Schools Excellence Award. This award will cover half tuition for up to four years of school. She was also chosen for the Louis Bell Scholarship through Community Scholarships of Northwest Missouri. Louis Bell was a former farmer in the Fairfax, Missouri, area, who established the Louis E. Bell Trust Grants.  It was a scholarship program to honor the hard work of high school and college students from Rock Port, Fairfax, and Tarkio. Jada will attend Peru State and plans to major in Psychology.

Colten Stevens received the Outstanding Senior Male Athlete Award at the high school assembly and was also a Wendy’s Heisman School winner. Colten has earned a Presidential Award of Excellence certificate, which was based on scoring at the 85th percentile on the ACT in either reading or math and achieving a 3.67 or higher cumulative grade point average. Colten is currently a member of the Nebraska National Guard. Colten also received the First Baptist Church of Tarkio’s Scholarship. The Army has awarded Colten the Engineer Memorial Award. He has also received the Nebraska Energy Federal Credit Union Scholarship. Colten will be attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he will use his Ruth Leverton Scholarship totaling $52,000 to study Biology and Kinesiology.

Macie Hale was the sole awardee of the Warren and Evalyn Morgan Charitable Trust High School Vocational Scholarship for high school students. Macie is also receiving the $1,000 Atchison County Development Corporation Vocational Scholarship. ACDC is proud to invest in our students, hoping to see them return to Atchison County in future years.  The ACDC Board members realize the value of the vocational programs in our small community and hopes to see more applications for this vocational scholarship in the future. Macie also received a scholarship from Rock Port’s New Horizons. New Horizons is a women’s organization that was formed over 30 years ago to promote personal growth, fellowship, and community service. Today’s graduating seniors are not only challenged with a daunting task of deciding what they will do with their futures, but also how they will fund their continued education. They are proud to present their scholarship to a senior who plans to enroll in a specified trade or technical program. Macie was the awardee of the Northwest Missouri Sportsman’s Club Scholarship and the first recipient of the Steve and Marie Proctor Scholarship. Macie plans to attend Iowa Western Community College for an accounting tech certification.

Angylena Owens was the only senior to attend the Upward Bound Academy during high school. She was chosen through an interview process to attend Upward Bound housed on the campus of NWMSU. Upward Bound has been sponsored by Northwest Missouri State University since 1986 and services selected schools in Atchison, Gentry, and Nodaway counties in Missouri. Upward Bound participants find their academic careers and social lives enriched by Saturday Academies, college visits, and special activities scheduled throughout the academic year.  In addition, Upward Bound sponsors an annual six-week, on campus summer residential program for its members. This opportunity grants students a chance to see what college life was like and provides them access to an abundance of educational opportunities. Angylena will be attending Portland State University and plans to major in English.

Holden Farmer received a Warren and Evalyn Morgan Trust four-year scholarship. Holden will be attending Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri, to pursue a degree in Marketing and continue playing basketball for the Missouri Valley Vikings.

Tayleigh Huntley received a Warren and Evalyn Morgan Trust four-year scholarship, the NWMSU Quimby/Walker Award and the NWMSU Tower Scholarship. Tayleigh will be attending Northwest this fall and will study Chemistry with an emphasis in Biology.

Kierstyn Jakub was honored by the Rock Port’s Youth Sports Club with the $500 Bill Andrews Memorial Scholarship. Bill was one of the founding members of the former Rock Port Optimist Club and spent many hours supporting youth activities in Rock Port and the surrounding area. Kierstyn was an A+ student, and also received the Morgan High School four-year scholarship, and the Rock Port Rotary Club Scholarship. Northwest Missouri State University has given the NWMSU Access Grant, the NWMSU Dream Grant and the NWMSU Tower Scholarship. Kierstyn will attend Northwest in the fall and concentrate on majoring in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biology.

Katelynn Ottmann received the PEO Scholarship, a Morgan Trust four-year scholarship, and was the second recipient of the Steve and Marie Proctor Scholarship. Kate also received the Presidential Award of Excellence. She was the only student of the class of 2022 to have the honor of a Principal’s Art Gallery Award from fifth grade. Her artwork was on display by the stage, and she was able to take it home after the ceremony. Kate will be attending the University of Denver in Colorado to study Ecology and Biodiversity with a minor in Studio Art. She has been awarded the Chancellor’s Scholarship of $31,000 per year for a total of $124,000.

Aubrey Watkins was awarded the American Legion Senior Female Citizenship Award, Female MSHSAA Award of Excellence, the Outstanding Senior Female Athlete, and the Milton Reid Award at the high school assembly. Aubrey also received an A+ Scholarship, the Rock Port High School’s National Honor Society Scholarship, and was selected by ACDC as the four-year college recipient of the ACDC Scholarship. Aubrey will be attending Truman State University in Kirksville where she will utilize her TruMerit Scholarship, President’s Honorary Scholarship and her A+ recognition at a grand total of $34,500. Aubrey plans to study Biology and minor in Spanish.

The senior class presentation was enjoyed before graduates left the gym to their class song, “Somewhere in the Middle” by Cody Jinks.