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.
Anthony Pritchard- 2009 Valedictorian
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 All rights reserved. Photos © Madonna Jervis Wise
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.