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National awards

BANGOR – United Technologies Center students Kyle Smith of Brewer High School and Adam Osborne of Orono High School were silver medalists in the annual SkillsUSA Championships in the television-video production contest. The announcement was made at the 40th SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference held June 24 in Kansas City, Mo.

Working against the clock and other contestants, Smith and Osborne proved their expertise in videography, timing, lighting, creative shots, editing and audio. They had to produce high-quality images and an animated short subject using 3D computerized images. They were tested on their technical knowledge, production skills, and creative and artistic abilities, and required to take a preliminary written exam and do storyboarding.

David Berry, Smith’s and Osborne’s instructor, said that the contest mimics the real world production environment where creative output must be accomplished within specific time frames, resources and design constraints.

More than 4,600 students participated in the hands-on competition in 80 trade, technical and leadership fields.

The contests are planned by technical committees made up of representatives of labor and management, and are designed to test the skills needed for successful entry-level performance in given occupational fields. Safety practices and procedures, an area of great concern to labor and management, are judged and graded, and constitute a portion of the contestant’s score.

Hermon Middle School

HERMON – An essay written by Hermon Middle School eighth-grader Brittany Robertson has been selected for inclusion in the anthology, “What’s Important to Me,” to be published by Creative Communications Inc. of Logan, Utah. Brittany is the son of Scott and Wendy Robertson.

Scholarship, essay winners

BANGOR – Bangor Lodge of Elks No. 244 has presented thousands of dollars in scholarships and essay awards during the recent Youth Awards Banquet:

Phillip F. Jameson Memorial Scholarship recipients, $500: Aaron Wilson, Bangor Christian Schools; James Libby, Bangor High School; Ashley Burns, Brian Parker, and Samantha York, Central High School, Corinth; Matthew Pierce, Hampden Academy; Valaree Charloux, Kristi Emery, and Gillian Miller, Hermon High School; and George Keefe and Rachel Yorzinski, John Bapst Memorial High School, Bangor.

Phillip F. Jameson Memorial Scholarship recipients, $1,000: Kristina Caldwell, Bangor Christian Schools; Megan Yardley, Lindsay Libby and Benjamin Weissman, Bangor High School; Jennifer Rollins, Central High School, Corinth; Steven Morse, Hermon High School; and Tracy Haskell, Sarah Hopkins, Nicholas McCrea, Brian Roach and Crystal Wiley, John Bapst Memorial High School.

Bangor Elks Lodge Scholarship recipients, $500: Daniel Jeskey and Megan Watson, Bangor Christian Schools; Sarah Hodgins, Brewer High School; Kimberly Buxton, Bucksport High School; Jessica Bubar, Central High School; Shannon Wiggin, Hermon High School; and Heather Laferriere, Ali Stevens, Ashley Winslow and Tyler Yeo, John Bapst Memorial High School, Bangor.

Bangor Elks Lodge Scholarship recipients, $1,000: Jessica Dougherty, Bangor Christian Schools; Christine Ames, Aaron Gallant, Brian Hackett, Michael Rubin, Ryan Russell and Benjamin Weissman, Bangor High School; Gabriel Levasseur and Nicole Martin, Central High School, Corinth; and Whitney Bryant, Jessica Deprey and Melissa Hills, Hermon High School.

Bangor Lodge of Elks ENF Scholarship recipients: Christine Ames, $500; Aaron Gallant, $500; Megan Yardley, $500; and Benjamin Weissman, $1,000. All four are Bangor High School students.

Maine State Elks Association ENF Scholarship recipients: Bangor High School students Aaron Gallant, $900; and Benjamin Weissman, $4,000.

Winners in the Bangor Lodge of Elks 244 Americanism Essay Contest are:

Grades nine-12: Lauren Sturdivant, 11th grade, Hampden Academy, first, $500; Beth Kevit, ninth grade, John Bapst Memorial High School, second, $150; and Nina Perez, 10th grade, Hampden Academy, third, $100.

Grades five-six: Ariel Philbrick, first, $75; Suzanne Martin, second, $50; and Randy Eastman, third, $25. The three are pupils at Bangor Christian Schools.

Grade seven-eight: Allyssa Foley, first, $75; Sarah Diamond, second, $50; and Joshua Betit, third, $25. The three are pupils at All Saints Catholic School.

Bangor Emblem Club 223 essay contest winners: Alexa Small, sixth grade, Hermon Middle School, first, $50; Rachel Pomeroy, sixth grade, Hermon Middle School, second, $25; Sarah Diamond, seventh grade, All Saints School, first, $50; and Katy Hein, seventh grade, Holbrook Middle School, Holden, second, $24.

Wassookeag School

BANGOR – The Wassookeag School, a small independent community for learning for pupils in kindergarten through grade eight, will hold an information session for inquiring parents at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, at Borders Books.

Present to answer any questions will be the director and teacher for the older student group, Debby Bell-Smith, as well as a parent, pupil and Jeannie Egan-Novak, the new teacher for the younger pupils.

An open house will be held in the coming weeks at the school’s new location, 218 French St.

Colleges

Tulane University

NEW ORLEANS – Kelli Wong, the daughter of Steve Wong and Gail LeClair of Bangor, has entered medical studies at Tulane University. The “white coat” ceremony for her class is being held this month.

Wong, a graduate of Colgate University and John Bapst Memorial High School, completed a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. Her one-year project was studying the game of chess outside the United States. The fellowship took her to Thailand, China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Spain, Russia and German.

“My Watson experience without a doubt exceeded all hopes and expectations,” Wong said. “I saw so much of the world, learned so much about different cultures and languages and was fully enthralled in my chess research.”

The highlight, she said, was meeting her chess idol, Gary Kasparov, and discussing modern chess theory.

The fellowship was created in 1968 by the family of Thomas J. Watson Sr., the founder of IBM Corp.

At Colgate University, Wong was class president for three years, and a member of organizations such as the China Club, Asian Awareness Coalition and Konosioni. She was head resident of a dormitory, recipient of the 1819 Award, a finalist for a Gates fellowship, winner of a Fulbright fellowship and author of published research in organic chemistry. She also helped organize involvement in fundraising efforts for research on heart disease.

Bates College

LEWISTON – Area students named to the spring dean’s list at Bates College are:

. David Kelly, a 2004 graduate of Bangor High School, the son of Robert and Suzanne Kelly of Bangor.

. Lindsy I. Blazej, a 2002 graduate of Nokomis High School, the daughter of Kenneth and Barbara Blazej of Dixmont. She studied in Madagascar and Australia during the past school year.

. Scott D. Rosenthal, a 2003 graduate of Bangor High School, the son of Robert and Barbara Rosenthal of Bangor.

. Emily P. Crowley, a 2004 graduate of John Bapst Memorial High School, the daughter of Michael Crowley of Levant and Marjorie Patten Crowley of Belfast.

Hartwick College

ONEONTA, N.Y. – Hartwick College senior Ashley Smyth was named to the dean’s list for the spring semester. She is the daughter of Wallace and Anne Smyth of Orono.

An English major, she has participated in women’s junior varsity field hockey, women’s varsity lacrosse, Society of Sisters United/Brothers United, Hilltops student newspaper, Pluralism Associates League for Students, Orchesis Dance Club, Sigma Tau Delta and Tutors.