Last Thursday night at ZHS, a tradition continued although with some tweaks!  That, of course, was the annual Awards and Honors Presentation.  For nearly 100 years, some type of awards event has been held to honor the top scholars of the graduating class. So often in today’s society qualities other than scholarship are recognized so it is a wonderful tradition that scholars are acknowledged.  We value the practice instituted by former ZHS Principal, James T. Davis (serving 1993 to 2004 and now Assistant Superintendent) who initiated an honors banquet and began presenting honor students with an academic ‘Z’ letter, comparable to an athletic letter. These students from the early 1990’s forward were honored at a banquet funded by Daybreak Rotary of Zephyrhills for their parents and an accomplished ZHS alumni who spoke of the impact that ZHS had on him/her.  We are hopeful that the new principal who was just announced, Steven Van Gorden, will reinstitute this honors banquet for these deserving students and their proud parents.

The awards convocation is of course a tribute and culmination of four years of hard work.  At this event the Valedictorian, the highest ranking student of the graduating class, is announced as well as the Salutatorian (next week we will tell you about the Salutatorians). The new 2009 Valedictorian is Anthony Pritchard.

ZHS has recognized the top two scholars of each graduating class throughout their history.  In researching archives, primarily microfilm to correctly identify the top-of-the class students, we painstakingly reviewed the archives of the Zephyrhills News and the Zephyrhills Library.  Various community members provided missing names, but there remain 16 who have not been identified from the 1930’s and before.

The Valedictorians and Salutatorians were recognized in slight variations over time but always represented those individuals with the highest scholastic achievement and grade point average.  Many have excelled in their professional careers and brought pride to Zephyrhills; and several have continued to be leaders in the community, government and their professions.

ZHS Valedictorians over time…Please help us locate the missing ‘Number Ones!’

2008-Luke Aaron Thomas

2007-Kristen Lynn Beville

2006-Rebekah Louise Hayden

2005-Suneal Singh Bedi

2004-Phillip Justin Young

2003-Ashik “JJ” Jivan

2002-Kristen Mari  Benedini

2001-Mamie Venita Jervis Wise

2000-Deanna Hasenauer, Anurekha “Rekha”

Krishnaraj & Pamela Jane Moses

1999-Thomas George Renc

1998-Laura Ann Noble & Jennifer Lyn

Strickland

1997-Charles Shelby Garrod

1996-Chut Sombutmai

1995-Mandeep Singh Dhalla

1994-Kaname Kenneth Kuniyuki

1993-Monu Singh Bedi & Sonu Singh Bedi

1992-Christine Noel Rinck

1991-Beth Ann Ables

1990-Thomas Eugene Gregory

1989-David Jochen Lorenz

1988-Jeanine Louise Boyd

1987-Mark Wayne Brissette

1986-Bruce Len Lovins

1985-Katherine Elizabeth Evans

1984-Christopher Charles Williams

1983-Mary Beth Kuusisto

1982-Steven Thomas Kretschmar

1981-Amy Ruth Kuusisto

1980-Michael Kevin “Mickey” Farrell

1979-David Norman Deaton

1978-Karen Lenné Hunt

1977-Scott Edwin Boyd

1976-Elizabeth Stanley

1975-Karen Marie Scharlau

1974-Gerald Kenneth Eysaman, Jr.

1973-Michael Thomas Cox

1972-Walter Bruce Vogel

1971-Andrij Roman Neczwid

1970-Patricia Ann Hayden

1969-Patricia Gail Connelly

1968-Harmon Daniel “Danny” Pollock, II

1967-Marcia Demming

1966-Joseph  Higginson

1965-Linda Hayden

1964-James Emmett Daniels

1963-Jerry H. Griffin

1962-Barbara Russ

1961-Elizabeth Witt

1960-Bonnie Lee Reed

1959-Laura Ann Higginson

1958-Edwina Jones

1957-Janet Marilyn Johnson

1956-Dena Yvonne Cooper

1955-Bunnie Sue Sibley

1954-Richard “Dick” Braden

1953-Joan Pauline Braden

1952-Caroline Jones

1951-Martha Mae Keller

1950-Nancy Skinner

1949-Alton Tyre

1948-Betty Jo Turner

1947-Patricia Pauline Parttridg

1946-Rubye Lott

1945-Edna Elizabeth Thornberry

1944-Mary Hart

1943-Vernon Poehner

1942-Alden Poehner

1941-Jack W. Booth, Jr.

1940-Bernice Eleanor Curtis

1939-Pearl Snider

1938-Rilda Darlene Mounts

1937-Estelle Delk

1936-??????

1935-Sarah E. Parsons

1934-Grace Lester

1933-Winnie Plank

1932-?????

1931-?????

1930-?????

1929-?????

1928-Theodore Campbell

1927-Eula Hensley Shaw

1926-?????

1925-Julius Pillar

1924-?????

1923-?????

1922-?????

1921-Nellie Ford

1920-?????

1919-?????

1918-?????

1917-?????

1916-Nannie Knight

1915-?????

1914-?????

1914-First Official Graduation

1913-Eleventh Grade Graduation Only

1910-School Opened

Missing 1914-1915, 1917-1920, 1922-1924, 1926, 1929-1932, 1936

Countdown to Centennial By Madonna Jervis Wise and Clereen Morrill Brunty of the 100th Anniversary Committee, ZHS. Article originally appeared in the Zephyrhills News on May 14, 2009. All rights reserved. Photos © Madonna Jervis Wise