Mr. Anderson and Erica Francis.

“This is the first year I have worked with Erica, and boy, I ended up with her in English, Speech, and the play. Having Erica in so many different areas has given me the opportunity to see her perform in a variety of ways.  She is an excellent writer.  She understands literature.  Her speeches always moved me. And I never ever would have thought that she wanted to be in a play, but she campaigned for her part, was so reliable as a cast member, and gave an amazing performance as a cranky old lady, so different from herself. Maybe the moment that meant the most to me was a day when I had ten students who were remote, we were performing group projects, and I was so frustrated.  She saw that I was frazzled and she made a point to apologize for the chaos in class that day. Just from this moment, I could tell that Erica has a heart of gold and deserves to be a Trojan Choice winner.”

Mr. Baird and Kylar Dewhirst.

My Trojan Choice is Kylar Dewhirst. I first met Kylar as a Junior High Basketball coach. Kylar was a manager for the team. I think she had to run sprints because she was talking to the boys…. But I digress. Kylar took Psychology, American History, and American Government from me. This year she was my student aide. Kylar was a great student aide. She was very helpful and respectful. One of the things that I admire about her is she is her own person. Kylar will stick up for herself and others. Kylar will be missed by everyone who really knows her at SES.

Ms. Boley and Amber Beaumont.

My Trojan Choice is Amber Beaumont. I have had the privilege of working with Amber for the past 6 years!! During those years, I don’t believe I have never heard Amber complain!! Amber is always pleasant and respectful and seems to always have a genuine smile in place or just below the surface of her concentration. Amber works hard to be successful in choir, Madz, musicals and contests. She is consistent and diligent in her preparation process and she is easily open to suggestions and feedback. Amber’s work ethic and positivity have been noted and appreciated in every event that I have had the privilege of working with her. Amber is a beautiful example of perseverance to success. Thank you, Amber. I am going to miss you!!

Mr. Douglas and Kayleb Qualls.

I have had the pleasure of teaching Kayleb multiple times in the last four years and each time has been a wonderful experience. Kayleb is extremely intelligent, hard working, and is everything you wish for in a student. But the thing I enjoy most about having Kayleb in class is his sense of humor. His sharp witted comments during discussions and clever jokes keep many of his classmates on their toes and provides much joy to our class. Kayleb has made teaching very rewarding and deserves recognition for his excellence as a student and that is why he is my Trojan Choice.

Mr. Emme and Jake Gebhardt.

Jake has been in several of the classes I teach, and during each class I have watched him grow a little more into the independent individual that he is today. Jake is not a follower, and prefers to be on his own, prefers to figure out the problem and find the solution himself. He is not a follower, he wants to be regarded and evaluated on his own merit, not the work he got from other people along the way. He may seem to sit in the shadows a little but he is growing to be a very succesful student through the work, and life habits he has, and holds himself to live by. I chose Jake this year because I have have much enjoyed being able to be part of this journey he is on and look forward to seeing where it may take him in time.

Mr. Gebhardt and Trever Keller

I have really enjoyed watching Trevor mature over the last few years. Trever came to Southeast of Saline as an 8th grader. He has a great attitude in my class and works hard to do what is right. He is willing to help others and always brings a good attitude with a smile. Trevor has become a leader in the class. Continue to have a good work ethic and you will do great things. Trevor deserves to be my Trojan Choice.

Mr. Goodell and Nakari Morrical-Palmer

This school year has definitely been a roller coaster for everyone here at SES and across the country. With so many distractions facing us today Nakari has seemed to persevere through all of them. At the beginning of the school year Nakari was one of the first students in the entire school to have to quarantine and miss school, however that didn’t seem to faze him at all. He continued to work diligently and not let his circumstances affect him. Nakari has this quiet and controlled demeanor about him and nothing seems to rattle him which says a lot about his maturity as a young man. He continues to produce great class work and has slowly started to come out of his shell personality wise. I am honored to have a small role in his journey in life and can’t wait to see what the future holds in store for him. He is definitely a great candidate for my Trojan Choice Award.

Mr. Keasling and Hannah Blevins

Being a Freshman in band can be a little overwhelming trying to figure out where you fit in with everyone. From day one Hannah has stepped up into a leadership role in class and also during jazz band time. She has asked to play first part trumpet during band and has not shied away from being put into important roles during jazz band. In addition, Hannah always has such a positive attitude and gives her best in class everyday. Finally, I have also noticed how fiercely loyal she is to her core group of friends. Watching Hannah and all of her group of friends interact on a daily basis brings a smile to my face and brightens my day. Hannah is truly deserving of being my Trojan Choice Award Winner. Thank you Hannah for being the amazing person that you are!

Mr. Keith and Trinity Robb

Anyone who meets Trinity for the first time (like I did this fall), will probably walk away with the impression that Trinity is quiet. That being said, as the year progressed and the more I got to know Trinity, the more it became apparent to me that the word “quiet” isn’t a very good word to describe her. Instead, words like “thoughtful” and “artistic” should be used. Trinity has the gift of insight and is able to peel back layers of meaning until she gets at the heart of things, which is exactly what pain in the neck English teachers like me ask students to do. When Trinity does speak, she always has something to say that is meaningful and beneficial to others, and above all, Trinity is very kind and considerate of other people. And that, folks, is why she is my Trojan Choice Award winner.

Mr. Krehbiel and Sterling Harp

I have known Sterling now for 6 years. He is an exceptions student, kind to other students, respectful to me, and he has a fantastic work ethic. His character exemplifies what it means to be a Trojan Choice in my opinion. Sterling always has a smile on his face and a very positive attitude. He is kind hearted to ALL students and makes a point to include others in conversation and work. He is humble, patient and has that “stick to it attitude”. It has been a tremendous pleasure to have Sterling as a student, and an athlete, these past few years.

Mr. Mcvay and Nathan Barr

I have greatly enjoyed having Nathan in my class this semester. He is one of those students that almost makes my job too simple. Every day he comes into class with a positive attitute, eager to learn, and willing to work for the answers he needs to complete a successful project. He will ask questions, seek feedback from peers, research solutions, and is always more than willing to help out fellow students when needed. Outside of typical classwork, Nathan has also shown himself to be helpful and productive. When the semester first began, he noticed that a side room off of the classroom needed organized and cleaned out to be more useful, so he took it upon himself to take care of it. He spent a few hours working in that room, and, in the end, we now have a much more accessible and useful space that all students can take advantage of. For these reasons, and many others, I am proud to select Nathan as my Trojan Choice Award Winner!

Mrs. Petty and Kyson Weidman

Kyson comes to Agriscience class everyday with a great attitude. He is kind to his classmates and teachers, always completes his work thoroughly and on time, and is willing to try new things. Kyson is a quiet student, but always has a smile on his face and a “can-do” attitude, which I very much appreciate! For those reasons, I am pleased to announce Kyson as my Trojan Choice Award winner.

Mr. Ptacek and Ben Grauerholz

Ben began this school year frustrated with leg issues but has continually demonstrated the ability to stay positive and maintain a necessary dedication to his work in the PE classroom and weightroom. There were in fact many times when the reigns had to be pulled back. It has been a pleasure to witness his strong worth ethic as well as his growing confidence. Ben is an outstanding student and is very deserving of this award.

Mrs. Ptacek and Dawson Adams

Dawson has shown incredible work ethic in Sport Physiology. Rather than back down he bulldozes his way through challenges and does not shy away from hard work. Whether working on classroom assignments or participating in class workouts, Dawson gives his all.

Ms. Rohrer and Jozlyn Jones

Jozlyn is a quiet young lady who can fool you! Because of her quiet and reserved demeanor, one might be inclined to think she does what she has to so, like many students, she can move on to more “important” things. But Jozlyn is extremely congnizant of the world around her. She is a dynamic young lady who shows wonderful friendship to her close peers and works extremely hard every single day. But what I have really noticed about Jozlyn from the beginning of the year to now is how she continues to grow into a fantastic force of self-reliance and poise. She knows who she is and where she is going. I love her self-confidence. I will miss her next year.

Mr. Sauber and Ben Monday

Ben is one of the top students in my Trigonometry class. While I am impressed with his great work ethic, it is his unique problem solving and reasoning skills that truly amaze me. He demonstrates a very high level of knowledge by asking questions and proposing alternative solutions to problems. I enjoy the fact that his questions are often so unique that I have to stop and think about the answer. His thought processes and questions add a new dimension to the class. His sense of humor is also a challenge to me. I have always prided myself as being a master of off the wall puns. Ben certainly gives me a run for the money. In scholars’ bowl, I am impressed with his quick recall of facts and his ability to perform under pressure. It is truly a joy to have Ben in class.

Mrs. Schell and Keenan Johnson

I have had the pleasure to work with Keenan for the last 4 years. Keenan is a hardworking student that will go above and beyond with his school work. Keenan is not only diligent in the classroom but in everything he participates in. Keenan is also thoughtful and helpful to others. He demonstrates the qualities of a Trojan choice and It is my pleasure to choose him this year.

Mr. Settle and Dylan Sprecker

Dylan, or Diego, as I like to call him, makes teaching Spanish fun. His approach to learning Spanish has always been very thorough. He has adopted Spanish as his second language and enjoys honing his skills. It has been fun this year to watch his development. Diego always finds a way to shine a positive light on any conversation. That skill alone will take him far. Choosing Dylan, as most people call him, was an easy decision!

Mrs. Stein and Jeremiah Easley

Jeremiah is new to SES! Unfortunately for him, not all his science credits transferred. Because of this, he is enrolled in both my physical science and chemistry classes, and I get see him every day! The significance of Jeremiah taking these classes concurrently is that he started chemistry without any of the prerequisites he would have learned in physical science class—he had a disadvantage, and I was worried about his disadvantage. It wasn’t easy, yet Jeremiah worked so hard, and always had a smile and great attitude about the situation. This is why he is my Trojan Choice—his work ethic, determination, and positive attitude along the way! I am so proud of you, Jeremiah!

Mrs. Streit and Joni Schroeder

For the Trojan Choice Award, we are asked to look for students who have good morals, good work ethic, cooperation and responsibility in making their choices. Joni modeled good decision making when she signed up for College Algebra and I questioned why she wasn’t taking Pre Calculus since she is a strong math student. Joni listened, considered her career choice, sought further advice from Mrs. Haden and made her choice accordingly. In addition to this, Joni is in my seminar and she generally is slow to pack up for the day. So, it is usually her and me for a few moments after the bell. Joni never fails to wish me a good evening or a good weekend. It makes for a good end of the day for me. So, thanks Joni and congratulations.

Mrs. Weis and Londyn Detlefson

Londyn is a trustworthy and reliable student who is genuienly kind to her peers and others. She displays a good work ethic in the classroom and in the variety of school activities in which she is involved. Her positive attitude is what stands out about Londyn. She comes to class everyday I know with a smile under that mask and ready to learn. It has been a pleasure getting to know Londyn this year and she is very deserving of a Trojan Choice award.

Mrs. Wilson and Korey Kogler

Korey is one of the hardest working students who accepts any challenge or task without hesitation or complaint. He has been challenged this year to carry out all of his Leadership duties as a STATE FCCLA Officer in a total virtual world. His dedication to completing this and all tasks without many of the rewards that are usually associated with all of this work–like multiple days away at conferences and planning meeting with his fellow officer team, recognition at an elegant officer banquet and having the opportunity to present their conference live to an appreciative audience! He is equally dedicated to our chapter activities and classroom work as well. I am happy to recognize him with this Trojan Choice award, I am very proud you, Korey!