By Sadie Reecer
Some of the county’s top leaders, students and community members started their day a little earlier than usual on the morning of April 22 to honor 15 students of Westfield Washington Schools at Westfield Youth Assistance Program’s fifth annual Recognition Celebration Breakfast.
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz, Westfield Washington Schools Superintendent Mark Keen, Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter and Westfield Chief of Police Joel Rush were just a few of the faces in the crowd.
Mayor Andy Cook welcomed guests and helped recognize the students, along with their teachers who nominated them for the acknowledgment.
Each year, Westfield Youth Assistance Program, recognizes students from the schools who have overcome an obstacle, personally or academically, to improve their lives.
In the nearly two hour breakfast, the audience of about 150 heard about struggles of students with academic, health and social issues that sometimes interfered with their ability to function as a “normal kid.”
“Many of these young kids have learned more about life in their short years through adversity than many of us, even in an old age, have had to face,” Cook said to the crowd. “What comes to my mind when I hear about these stories from Kindergarten on up, is I think every one of these young adults and children will be very successful in life because they have faced obstacles that most of us in this room only hear about.”
Who are they?
Louna Alsabia (Grade 12)
Victor Cortez (Grade 6)
Christian Dryden (Grade 3, Monon Trail Elementary)
Aimee Gonzalez (Grade 5)
Ian Keller (Kindergarten, Monon Trail Elementary)
Matthew Lohman (Grade 9)
Sara McGovern (Grade 11)
Elliott Ogle (Grade 3, Carey Ridge Elementary)
Ben Robison (Grade 5)
Tai Shea (Grade 1, Monon Trail Elementary)
Drew Staley (Grade 4, Carey Ridge Elementary)
Tiffany West (Grade 8)
Will Whiteman (Grade 4, Oak Trace Elementary)
Tehren Don Wiley (Grade 11)
Destiney Murano-Worley (Grade 11)
