Campbell County High School
Aaron Frederick
Top 5 in Class, Soccer
Team Captain, Beta
Club, Chancellor’s
Honors Program
University of Tennessee,
Knoxville
Son of Pamela and Oscar
Frederick
Regan Bell
Top 5 in Class, Beta Club
President, First Volunteer
Bank Junior Board of
Directors President,
Campbell County Junior
Leadership Director
Daughter of Stacey and
Ed Bell
Carter High School
Campbell County
Natalie Lay
Top 5 in Class, Beat
Club, First Volunteer
Bank Junior Board
of Directors, Student
Council
Daughter of Rhonda and
Robert Lay
Lindsay Chapman
Top 5 in Class, Student
Council Secretary, Beta
Club, All-A Honor Roll
Daughter of Vyreda and
Lewis Chapman
McKenna Kerr
Top 5 in Class, Student
Council President, Girls
State Delegate, Teen
Board of Knoxville
Presentee
Daughter of Jane and
Robert Kerr
presented by
Knox County
Since 1985, the News
Sentinel has recognized
more than 9,400 East
Tennessee graduating
high school seniors as
Academic Achievers.
Dawson Kitts
Valedictorian, All-East
Tennessee Honors Choir
(2 years), National Honors
Society (2 years), 2016
- 2017 President of the
Conference Council on
Youth Ministries for the
Holston Annual Conference
of the United Methodist
Church. Son of Amanda
Judy McCurry
Salutatorian, Senior
Class Student
Government President,
National Honor Society
(2 years), Member of
Tri-M Music Society
Daughter of Rae Ann
and David McCurry
Macy Meredith
Salutatorian, Presidential
Academic Excellence
Award (4 years),
National Honor Society
(2 years), Teen Board of
Knoxville (4 years)
Daughter of Amy and
Mark Meredith
and Darren Kitts
Central High School
Spencer McDonald
Valedictorian, FAA
Certified Private Pilot,
Tennessee Governors
School for the Arts,
2015-17 All State & All
National Band
Son of Diana and Tim
McDonald
Salutatorian, Presidential
Academic Excellence
Award, Creative
Communications Poetry
Publication, American
Library of Poetry
Publication
Daughter of Pamela
Vandergriff and Joe
Vandergriff
Carter Dunlap
Fifth in Class,
Presidential Academic
Excellence Award,
National Honor Society
Vice President, 2015 &
2016 All-Region Football
First Team
Son of Kristie and Mark
Dunlap
Knox County
Canaan Pratt
Salutatorian, Chancellor’s
Honors Program at UTK,
East Tennessee Band &
Orchestra Association (2
years), Clarinet Section
Leader (2 years)
Son of Angela and Fred
Pratt
Central High School
Emily Vandergriff
Ramzey Odtallah
National Honor
Society, Top 5 in Class,
Technology Peer Tutor
Son of Lara and Gavin
Bergman
Kelly Fox
Track Team Captain,
2016 Cross Country
Team Captain, National
Honors Society
Daughter of Fredda
Tippton and John Fox
Riley Cardwell
Student Government
Association President,
Editor for “The Bobcat
Time”, Academic Team
Captain
Son of Lisa Cardwell and
Robby Cardwell
McMinn County
This year’s honorees
come from 68 public and
private accredited East
Tennessee high schools.
Academic Achievers are
chosen by the schools
on the basis of grades.
They are also leaders in
school activities and in
their communities. These
seniors are the present
and future of East
Tennessee.
On our 33rd anniversary,
we are pleased to
partner with U.S.
Cellular, one of the
nation’s leading wireless
carriers with its East
Region headquartered
in Knoxville, in
announcing the 335
academic honorees of
2017. We will recognize
the achievements of the
remaining students over
the next ten days.
Like us and share today!
Congratulations
Douglas Watts
Valedictorian, Tennessee
American Legion Boys
State - Senator, Student
Congress on Policies in
Education - Representative,
Elks Teen of the Month
Son of Carol and Bob
Watts
Hannah Smith
Valedictorian, Elks Teen
of the Month, Top Ten
Percent in the Class of
2017, Student Council
Member
Daughter of Laura
Smith and Tim Smith
Central High School
Sydney Kidd
Valedictorian,
Renaissance Gold Card
Member all 4 years of
high school, Beta Club,
DECA
Daughter of Kellie Kidd
and Dean Kidd
KN-1558326
Kaitlynn Turner
Cierra Widener
Valedictorian, Student
Council Member, Top
Ten Numerical Average
Award - Class of 2017,
Elks Teen of the Month
Daughter of Crystal and
Brett Widener
Lucy Harrill
Valedictorian, Appointed
to the United States
Military Academy
at West Point, 750+
Volunteer Service Hours,
2016 Ben Carson Scholar
Daughter of Cristal and
Jamie Harrill
Morgan County
Valedictorian, All District
Softball, Renaissance
Gold Card Member (4
years), Beta Club
Daughter of Becky
Hamby
Joshua Thomas
Valedictorian, Beta Club,
Renaissance Gold Card
Member (4 years), DECA
Son of Sharon and Todd
Thomas
Jordan Layne
Valedictorian,
Renaissance Gold Card
Member (4 years), TECA
Washington Youth Tour
Essay Contest Winner,
Beta Club
Son of Tracy and Rusty
Layne
Bailey Martin
Valedictorian,
Optimist Club Student
Appreciation Award,
National English Honor
Society, Prep Xtra
- Volleyball Student
Athlete of the Year
Daughter of Denise and
Robert Martin
2017
Academic Achievers
You’ve
You
ve made it to the top
top.
We join the News Sentinel
in saluting you for all the
hard work it took you to
get there. Enjoy the view.
You’re an inspiration
to all of East Tennessee.
Noah Gouge
Valedictorian,
Renaissance Gold Card
Member (4 years), Beta
Club, FCCLA
Son of Jana and Earnest
Gouge
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