Published 10:58 am Thursday, May 16, 2024
By Max Harden
DOWAGIAC — Dowagiac Union High School was host to a celebration Wednesday evening.
High school seniors were honored for their academic achievements and presented with more than $678,950 in scholarships during the school’s Class of 2024 Honors Ceremony Wednesday in the high school gymnasium. 
More than 40 Chieftains were recognized for their success in the classroom in the form of certificates, plaques, stoles and scholarships – which varied from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars each.
Awards included:
Valedictorian: Abbey Dobberstein
Salutatorian: Hazel Kelly
High Honor graduates: Alivia Ausra, Andrew Bryant, Hayley Jones, Hazel Kelly, Michael Burks, Thomas Pierce, Elizabeth Burns, Jenna Pressley, Aubrey Busby, Travis Rehborg, Abbey Dobberstein, Blake Sheffer, Talan Gilliam, Brooklyn Smith, Faith Green, Dane Spagnoli, Natasha Griggs, Luke Spagnoli, Isiah Hill, Jayden Vandenberg, Ty’lisia Horton-Epps, Maggie Weller, Jamie Howard
Honor graduates: Alexandra Gasca, Brenden Hart, Chlorissa Hemenway, Ximena Hernandez, Jayla Weatherspoon, Jorge Meza, Abbigail Scott, Skylar Solomon, Maxwell Stelmasiak
Academic Awards of Excellence – Four Years: Michael Burks, Elizabeth Burns, Aubrey Busby, Abbey Dobberstein, Hazel Kelly, Brooklyn Smith, Dane Spagnoli, Luke Spagnoli, Maggie Weller
Early Middle College Participants: Ximena Hernandez, Hayley Jones, Jorge Meza, Skylar Solomon
SMC Educational Talent Search: Hunter Ausra, Arturo Benitez, Damia Brooks, Braylon Brown, Madisson Clark, Dayton Costello, Ashante’ Garcia, Ximena Hernandez, Donovan Hill, Michelle Hoekstra, Theodore Hoekstra, Ty’Lisia Horton-Epps, Jamie Howard, Chloe Hysell, Jada Jackson, Hayley Jones, Hazel Kelly, Atena Mancera, Jorge Meza, Isiah Mourning, Anthony Munson, Kamden Nelson, Gabriella Neumann, Angelina Ochoa, Thomas Pierce, Abbigail Scott, Skylar Solomon, Lucas Szymczak, Jayden Vandenberg, Jayla Weatherspoon, Izabella Villanueva-Soto, Maggie Weller
Scholarships
Dowagiac Elks Club Scholarship: Brooklyn Smith, Aubrey Busby, Hazel Kelly
Dowagiac Elks Club Trade Scholarship: Jenna Pressley
Dowagiac Rotary Club Scholarship: Jorge Meza
Carson Ausra Memorial Scholarships: Dane Spagnoli, Luke Spagnoli
Beta Sigma Phi Theta Mu Scholarship: Maggie Weller
Beta Sigma Phi ECC Scholarship: Faith Green
Jim and Mary Alice Giles Scholarships: Natasha Griggs, Brooklyn Smith
Heather Nash Memorial Scholarships: Jorge Meza
MI Life in Numbers Scholarship, Maggie Cripe Memorial Scholarship: Madison Kurzhal
Ronald Latourette Memorial Scholarship: Faith Green
Miss Dowagiac Scholarship: Miss Dowagiac – Natasha Griggs; First Runner up – Abbey Dobberstein; Second Runner up – Jamie Howard; Miss Congeniality – Hayley Jones; Communications Scholarship – Jones; Community Service Scholarship – Griggs
Dowagiac Athletic Booster Club Scholarships: Abbey Dobberstein, Isiah Hill, Dane Spagnoli, Luke Spagnoli, Maggie Weller
The Dick Dorgan Memorial Scholarship: Hazel Kelly
The Chieftain Golf Outing Scholarships: Presented by Mrs. Nicky Hulett and Mr. Tom Carlson, Michael Burks, Aubrey Busby, Abbey Dobberstein, Faith Green, Natasha Griggs, Isiah Hill, Hazel Kelly, Dane Spagnoli, Luke Spagnoli, Brooklyn Smith, Maggie Weller
Athletic Boosters, In Memory of Ronda Sullivan Scholarships: Faith Green, Isiah Hill
Athletic Boosters, In Memory of Jeff Johnson Scholarship: Maggie Weller
Ronda L. Lucas Sullivan Legacy Foundation Scholarships: Isiah Hill, Jenna Pressley
Landen Taggart “Dreamers” Scholarships: Damia Brooks, Angelina Ochoa
Niles Haunted House Scholarship: Natasha Griggs
Dowagiac Connected Scholarship: Brooklyn Smith
L.A.D.D. Inc. Scholarships: Alivia Ausra, Natasha Griggs
Daughters of American Revolution: Hazel Kelly
Brian Parker Memorial Scholarship: Brooklyn Smith
Sodexo Services Scholarships: Andrew Bryant, Abbey Dobberstein, Hazel Kelly, Maggie Weller
Ascension Borgess-Lee, Maggie Cripe Memorial Healthcare Scholarship: Brooklyn Smith
Peninsular Lodge No. 10 F. & A.M. Scholarship: Jorge Meza
Burger King Scholarship: Hazel Kelly
Dowagiac Lions Club Scholarship: Faith Green
Dowagiac Lions Club “Craig Behnke” Scholarship: Brooklyn Smith
Midwest Energy Communications Scholarship: Abbey Dobberstein
Kameron Belew Memorial Scholarships: Damia Brooks, Mason Maggert, Maxwell Stelmasiak, Maggie Weller
SET/SEG Insurance Scholarship: Luke Spagnoli
Amersdorfer Memorial Scholarship: Maxwell Stelmasiak
Individual College Scholarship Awards
Southwestern Michigan College Roadrunner Scholarship: Hunter Ausra, Alexandra Gasca, Chlorissa Hemenway, Jess Pinkowski, Maxwell Stelmasiak, Jayla Weatherspoon
Southwestern Michigan College Award of Excellence: Alivia Ausra, Thomas Pierce, Jayden Vandenberg
Southwestern Michigan College Award of Distinction Scholarship: Michael Burks, Jamie Howard, Maggie Weller
Lincoln Tech “High Test” Scholarship: Dayton Costello
Kalamazoo Valley Community College “Merit” Scholarship: Aubrey Busby
University of Michigan’s University Regent Scholarship: Abbey Dobberstein
Ferris State University’s Provost’s, Merit, Achievement, Next and Bull Dog Achievement Scholarship: Dane Spagnoli, Luke Spagnoli
Michigan State University’s Spartan Scholarship: Jaserra Horton
Gannon University’s Gannon Knight Achievement Scholarship: Faith Green
University of Notre Dame’s Provost’s and University Scholarship: Hazel Kelly
 

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