The top five graduating seniors at Tarkio High School this year were, from left to right, Isaac Vette (valedictorian), Zoe Madron (salutatorian), Raelee Russell, Rainy Nordhausen, and Quin Staten.
Seniors Quin Staten and Rainy Nordhausen were named Mr. and Miss THS.
Gavyn Irvine and Rainy Nordhausen were named the 2026 Tarkio High School Outstanding Senior Athletes.
At the awards assembly, four students were recognized for not missing a single minute of school all year long! This kind of dedication, perseverance, and strong work ethic must run in the family as two families each had two kids honored. Well done Emily Gebhards, Jenna Gebhards, Karsyn White, and Kennedy White. (Ellie Graves photo)
The Tarkio High School Chapter of National Honor Society named Tavyn Smith, Charlotte Wright, Gavyn Irvine, and Grace Caudill as Outstanding Students of the 4th Quarter. (Ellie Graves photo)
Seniors Robbie Armstrong and Kale Lekey carry out their chairs following the Tarkio High School Senior Awards Assembly so that the juniors had no chairs to “move up” to.
The Tarkio High School Senior Awards Assembly was held Friday, May 8, 2026, in the THS Gym. The seniors received scholarships for future endeavors and honors for achievements made in their classes, sports teams, and school organizations this year and all four years. Underclassmen also received honors for their achievements throughout the year.
Members of the Class of 2026 walked into the gym to their class song “The Scientist” by Coldplay and then everyone recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Everyone in attendance was welcomed and then the award presentations began. The following is a list of honorees and the awards presented:
Atchison County Development Corporation (ACDC) scholarship presented by THS Counselor Marisa Hedlund – Rainy Nordhausen and Quin Staten
Tarkio Rotary Club scholarships presented by Mark Staten – Rainy Nordhausen, Bo Peregrine, Quin Staten, Kennedy White, and Isaac Vette
Tarkio Technology Institute recognition presented by Keifer Nemyer – Brayden Smith, Jaeka Wiley, Dylan Drummond, Jina Harbit, Gavyn Irvine, Lilah Sjulin, Bella Bywater, Teahen Hannah, Danni Irvine, Jacob Lester, and Gavin Mattice
Carol A. Schlueter Memorial Scholarship presented by Ann Schlueter – Isaac Vette and Quin Staten
Tarkio First Baptist Church Deacon Memorial Scholarship presented by Pastor Tate Walker – Quin Staten, Isaac Vette, and Jaeka Wiley
Golden Triangle Energy Scholarship presented by THS Principal Terry Peterson – Bo Peregrine
Pella Scholarship presented by plant manager Jason Goltz – Isaac Vette
CTA scholarships presented by Blu Dow – Carlotta White Scholarship – Quin Staten; and the Wheatley Family Scholarship – Rainy Nordhausen
P.E.O. Chapter FF Scholarship presented by Blu Dow – Zoe Madron
George V. Smith Tarkio Volunteer Fire Department Scholarship presented by Raymond Gebhards – Emily Gebhards and Zoe Madron
Tarkio and Westboro Lions Club scholarships presented by Marvin Southard – Isaac Vette, Rainy Nordhausen, Jaeka Wiley, Bo Peregrine, and Bresayda Jimenez
Louis E. Bell Memorial Scholarship presented by Marisa Hedlund – Rainy Nordhausen
Kemper Family Memorial Scholarship presented by Marisa Hedlund – Raelee Russell
Thomas M. Paul Scholarship presented by Marisa Hedlund – Jina Harbit
Luretta Ruth Turnbull Memorial Scholarship presented by Marisa Hedlund – Kennedy White
IVBats Scholarship presented by Marisa Hudlund – Zoe Madron
Community Blood Center Blood Drive Scholarship – Brooklyn Wennihan
Doug McNulty Memorial Scholarship – Olivia Schaefer, Kennedy White, Emily Gebhards, Zoe Madron, Bo Peregrine, and Quin Staten
Northwest Missouri State University Awards presented by Marisa Hedlund – Academic Excellence – Robbie Armstrong, Emily Gebhards, Rainy Nord-hausen, and Olivia Schaefer; A+ – Robbie Armstrong, Emily Gebhards, and Rainy Nordhausen; Go Green – Emily Gebhards; Adopt A Bearcat – Olivia Schaefer and Gavyn Irvine; Northwest Merit – Gavyn Irvine and Jonas Hurst; University Scholar – Olivia Schaefer
University of Missouri – Columbia awards presented by Marisa Hedlund – John C. Stapel Student Aid Scholarship – Isaac Vette; Bright Flight Scholarship – Isaac Vette; and Chancellor’s Scholarship – Isaac Vette
Kansas State University awards presented by Marisa Hedlund – Wildcat Nonresident Aid Scholarship – Raelee Russell
Iowa State University awards presented by Marisa Hedlund – Expedition Award, Academic Achievement, Design Future Leaders Award, and Nathaniel Howard Scholarship – Zoe Madron
North Central Missouri College awards presented by Marisa Hedlund – Evans Schafer Scholarship – Bresayda Jimenez; and A+ Scholarship – Bresayda Jimenez, Jaeka Wiley, and Dylan Drummond
State Technical College of Missouri award presented by Marisa Hedlund – A+ Scholarship – Quin Staten
Missouri College Preparatory Studies recognition presented by Marisa Hedlund – Zoe Madron, Olivia Schaefer, Quin Staten, Isaac Vette, and Kennedy White
30+ ACT Award presented by Marisa Hedlund – Isaac Vette
Top 5 Seniors – Quin Staten (5), Rainy Nordhausen (4), Raelee Russell (3), Zoe Madron (salutatorian), and Isaac Vette (valedictorian)
The State of Missouri and United States House of Representatives recognized all graduating seniors: Robbie Armstrong, Dylan Drummond, Emily Gebhards, Jina Harbit, Jonas Hurst, Gavyn Irvine, Bresayda Jimenez, Kale Lekey, Zoe Madron, Noah McCoy, Mason McMahon, Harley Mitchell, Rainy Nordhausen, Bo Peregrine, Adrienne Phillips, Raelee Russell, Olivia Schaefer, Lilah Sjulin, Brayden Smith, Quin Staten, Isaac Vette, Carter Wennihan, Kennedy White, and Jaeka Wiley
Music awards presented by Melody Barnett (awards that were not presented at the spring music concert) – State Music Contest Silver Awards – Zoe Madron, Quin Staten, and Brody Wennihan; State Music Contest Gold Award – Men’s Group (Quin Staten, Isaac Vette, Brody Wennihan, Finn Hurst, Elliott Walker, Josh Schlueter, and Jer-emy Bomar); and High Points in Choir – Quin Staten and Brody Wennihan
Bruce Hogue Memorial Scholarship presented by Melody Barnett – Rainy Nordhausen
Duke Nuckolls Memorial Scholarship presented by Melody Barnett – Olivia Schaefer
Anne Barnett “Mimi” Memorial Scholarship presented by Melody Barnett – Rainy Nordhausen and Quin Staten
National Honor Society Outstanding Citizen of the Year presented by Bailey Wennihan – Quin Staten
National Honor Society Outstanding Students of the 4th Quarter presented by Bailey Wennihan – Tavyn Smith, Charlotte Wright, Gavyn Irvine, and Grace Caudill
National Honor Society and Community Blood Center Blood Drive recognition presented by Counselor Ellie Graves – Quin Staten
Academic letters and bars presented by Ellie Graves – third year recipients – Robbie Armstrong, Dylan Drummond, Emily Gebhards, Bresayda Jimenez, Zoe Madron, Rainy Nordhausen, Bo Peregrine, Raelee Russell, Olivia Schaefer, Quin Staten, Isaac Vette, Carter Wennihan, Kennedy White, and Jaeka Wiley; second year recipients – Danika Agnew, Bella Bywater, Grace Caudill, Velicity Hegstrom, Dalton Hogue, Finn Hurst, Holly Litherbury, Parker Livengood, Bailey Wennihan, Brody Wennihan, and Delainee White; and first year recipients – Rhoni Caudill, Star Hankins, Savanna Lindsay, Easton Madron, Mason McMahon, Kaiden Nelson, Adrienne Phillips, Ben Rolf, Macy Stepp, Braelynn Webber, Azlynn Wiley, and Taya Windham
Junior High and High School Scholar Bowl honors presented by Mark Staten – Junior High – Tucker Hurst, Vera Hale, Landry Hurst, Jackson McElhaney, Bryar Wennihan, and Tristan Burke; and High School – Isaac Vette, Owen Vette, Olivia Schaefer, Danika Agnew, Dalton Hogue, Finn Hurst, Ben Rolf, and Nadine Henning
Florence Prather McMillan English Award presented by Mark Staten – Zoe Madron
Hixson Family Memorial Scholarship presented by Mark Staten – Isaac Vette and Quin Staten
Smoke Signals (Season 7) staff members recognized by Mark Staten – Brayden Smith, Bo Peregrine, Jonas Hurst, Gavyn Irvine, Robbie Armstrong, and Isaac Vette
M. David Palmeiro Memorial Scholarship presented by Terry Peterson – Gavyn Irvine (Tate Johnson was the Fairfax recipient)
275 Conference Scholar Athlete Awards presented by Terry Peterson – Zoe Madron, Rainy Nordhausen, Olivia Schaefer, Quin Staten, Isaac Vette, Finn Hurst, Brody Wennihan, and Bailey Wennihan
Outstanding Senior Athlete Award presented by Terry Peterson – Rainy Nordhausen and Gavyn Irvine
Ag MOASK Awards, National FFA Scholarship, Honor Cords, and/or MFA Scholarship presented by Dustin Lambertsen – Ben Rolf, Treyton Brown, Luke Gebhards, Finn Hurst, Kaiden Nelson, Rainy Nordhausen, Jax Peregrine, Jayden Scott, Macy Stepp, Brody Wennihan, Delainee White, Taya Windham, Jaeka Wiley, and Quin Staten
David Joesting Memorial Scholarship presented by Dustin Lambertsen – Quin Staten
Attendance Awards presented by Terry Peterson – Outstanding Attendance – Makenna Caudill, Finn Hurst, Savanna Lindsay, Jax Peregrine, Ben Rolf, Hannah Wennihan, and Delainee White; and Perfect Attendance – Emily Gebhards, Jenna Gebhards, Kennedy White, and Karsyn White
A+ recognition presented by Terry Peterson – Robbie Armstrong, Dylan Drummond, Emily Gebhards, Zoe Madron, Bresayda Jimenez, Rainy Nord-hausen, Bo Peregrine, Quin Staten, Isaac Vette, Carter Wennihan, and Jaeka Wiley
Northwest Technical School recognition presented by Terry Peterson – Dezzy Kimpston, Kale Lekey, Noah McCoy, Bo Peregrine, Mason McMahon, Carter Wennihan, and Matthew Vance
Career and Technical Education Certificate presented by Terry Peterson – Dylan Drummond, Quin Staten, Mason McMahon, Carter Wennihan, and Bo Peregrine
Yearbook Dedication recipient presented by Lane Zembles – Courtney Meyerkorth
Mr. and Miss THS presented by Lane Zembles – Quin Staten and Rainy Nordhausen
Seniors Bo Peregrine and Jaeka Wiley read theirs and their classmates’ future prophecies.
Isaac Vette, senior class president, presented the class key to junior class president Bailey Wennihan.
The 2026-27 THS Student Council President recognition presented by current president Bo Peregrine – Finn Hurst
The Pledge to the Tarkio High School Flag was recited. The seniors filed out and the underclassmen moved up a row, signifying the move to the next grade level.
