MOUNT VERNON — Thursday evening was a “payday” for some special students and their parents at the annual Alternative Center awards ceremony. “I’m not talking gasoline. I’m not talking jobs,” said keynote speaker Dave Southward, superintendent of the Knox County Educational Service Center, “but this is a payday for you to come and bring your students with you tonight and have your students recognized for their accomplishments. ... Our young people are graduating. Our young people are going on to jobs. Thank you, parents.”
Using a toolbox analogy, Southward then told the students, “Everybody has a toolbox, and everybody has tools. It’s how you use these tools that makes the difference.” He reminded the students that making good choices is important and pulled out a toolbox. It contained plastic body parts — heart, hand, eyeball, stomach, brain and ear — and Southward challenged the students to use those tools to help others, to see things as they really are, to stomach the bad times and get through to the good times. “If you have good tools in life, it will be easier for you,” Southward continued. Holding up a tape measure he asked, “How will you measure up?”
The students recognized at the ceremony measured up well enough to earn special commendations from Alternative Center staff and director Glenn Marchal. Counselor Derek Fisher and office administrator Susan Payne gave out the awards. Recipients are as follows:
•Student Patriots: Chris Devore, Jon Goines, Chris Goudy and Duane Hess.
•Office Helpers: Lainee Billingsley, Brad Jewell and Chris McClain.
•Random Acts of Kindness: Tim Conley, Jon Hunt, Andrea Jarrell, Brad Jewell, Mariah Kleman, Chris McClain, Sade Moravy, Kristy Roesing, Chris Spurling and Chris Devore.
•Invisible Children Project: Anthony Beach, Lainee Billingsley, Chris Goudy, Matt Hart, Eddie Jesser, Marcus Payne, Josh Sanders and Kevin Stander.
•Afterschool Activities Program: Matt Hart and Kevin Stander.
•Weightlifters: Colton Billingsley, Lainee Billingsley and Jon Hunt.
•Art Awards: Matt Adams, Chris Devore, Nick Garee, Jon Hunt, Briana Grubaugh, Tim Noble and Melvin Yeatman.
•Tutor Award: Chris Spurling.
•Outstanding Attendance: Bobby Balcom, Colton Billingsley, Lainee Billingsley, Kayce Bonnette, Chris Devore, James Duncan, Jon Goines, Briana Grubaugh, Jon Hunt, Ashley Lowe, Hilary Myers, Tim Noble, Marcus Payne, Matt Robison and Ozzie Stroud.
•Acceptance to the Career Center: Steve Corder, Brad Jewell and Kevin Stander.
•Most Improved: Bobby Balcom, Colton Billingsley, Max Butcher, Chris Devore, Briana Grubaugh, Christa Hart, Matt Hart, Mark Parker, Lee Schaade, Chris Spurling and Ray Toller.
•Academic Achievement: Colton Billingsley, Dillion Carsey, Tim Conley, Chelsea Corwin, Nate Dustin, Jon Hunt, Hilary Myers. Marcus Payne, Billy Rennie, Kristy Roesing, Jeff Smith, Josh Smith and Kevin Stander.
•Exemplary Behavior: Anthony Beach, Dillion Carsey, Tim Conley, Josh Evans, Shane Gump, Andrea Jarell, Brad Jewell, Mariah Kleman, Sade Moravy, Kristy Roesing, Harry Rush, Jeff Smith, Josh Smith, Shelby Spence, Kevin Stander, Melvin Tharp and Andrew Wilson.
•Most Cooperative: Quintin Jones.
•Individual Classroom Awards: Ashley Ashbrook, Steve Corder, Andrea Jarell, Hilary Myers, Matt Robison, Josh Smith, Chris Spurling and Kevin Stander.
•Student of the Quarter: Brad Jewell and Jon Sexton.
•GED Completion: Seth Graves.
•College Acceptance: Jon Sexton.
•Graduates: Corey Barrows, Justin Bradford, Colton Billingsley, Derrick Clark, Chelsea Corwin, Tasha Hinkston, Aaron Hobart, Jon Hunt, Kerrie King, Joe Niehoff, Mark Parker, D.J. Peters, Cody Pfleiger, Billy Rennie, Kristy Roesing, Jon Sexton, Ray Toller, Amanda Wallace and Sheena Woods.
Marchal served as master of ceremonies for the event which was sponsored by the West Side Church of the Nazarene and hosted by the First Church of the Nazarene.
