The Odessan, Odessa, Missouri, Thursday, May 3, 2012
Page 11C
Specker to attend MUS&T
Matthew Specker by Bud Jones Matthew Specker, 504 E. Chestnut, is one of the summa cum laude graduates of the Class of 2012 at Odessa High School. He is the son of Steven and Nikki Specker, and the grandson of Donald and Mary Specker. An older brother, Dustin, 21, is in his third year of pursuing a degree in nuclear engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology at Rolla. A younger sister, Kira, 17, is an OHS junior. During high school, Matthew has kept busy with multiple activities, including: >Academic Bowl, participating as a JV team member his freshman and sophomore years, and a varsity team member as a junior and senior. He was varsity team captain as a senior.
>Math relays team all four years. >Speech and debate as a junior and senior. >Future Business Leaders of America all four years, serving as point secretary during sophomore and junior years, chapter president as a senior. >Student Council during sophomore, junior and senior years. >Sophomore class president. >Lafayette County Youth Court all four years. >National Honor Society. >Spanish Club member as a sophomore. He says that his favorite high school activities have been: >Academic Bowl, which he says, “has been a lot of fun, especially this year when I got to serve as team captain.” >Math Relays, “where our team has enjoyed a lot of success.”
>Speech and debate, an activity which “I have enjoyed because it is different than anything I have ever done, and I like debate the most.” Achieving summa cum laude status, he says, came about as a result of “mostly a lot of hard work, and I was willing to do the hard work necessary to make it happen.” Matthew also says he took a lot of weighted classes and was willing to push himself to make sure that his work was always done and that he prepared adequately for all exams. Future plans involve attending Missouri University of Science and Technology to study aerospace engineering. “Space exploration is something that has always interested me, and engineering involves physics and math, both of which I am passionate about, so aerospace engineering seems to be a logical choice of college major.” Looking 10 years into the future, Matthew says he hopes to be working in the field of aerospace engineering, preferably with rockets or some other similar type of product. With the high school experience coming to an end and the rest of his life just beginning, he says, “I am going to miss all the people I have grown up around here in Odessa, but I am also looking forward to the challenges that I will be facing. I am not afraid to take a risk. It is better to try something new and fall on your face the first time than it is to not try at all.”
OHS teachers who have had a significant impact on his life include: >Chad Meyer, of whom Matthew says, “He is a very good teacher, who really cares about his students and has a great sense of humor. I enjoy joking around with him and giving him a hard time.” >Mike Shields is “the teacher who has pushed me the hardest and developed my study and work habits. Preparation for his class also has prepared me for college, and I appreciate it.” M a t t h e w ’s b r o t h e r, Dustin, he credits with being his greatest mentor in life. “My brother has always been a role model for me. He pushes himself to succeed, and I want to be just like him.” Matthew says getting his education in the Odessa R-7 District has allowed him to take advantage of different opportunities and gain great experiences. Still, the district is small enough that he has been able to have good one-on-one assistance from his teachers. His advice to new students who will be entering high school for the first time in August? “Start pushing yourself at the very start of classes. Try to get enrolled in some of the more difficult classes and do as many activities as you can. The best experience in high school comes from being involved in several different activities, so get involved as soon as you can and push yourself to always do your best.”
Odessa High School Commencement
7 p.m., Friday, May 11 University of Central Missouri Multipurpose Building, Warrensburg Please Stand as Seniors Enter Processional...............Pomp and Circumstance, Edward Elgar Welcome..................John W. McGraw, principal Instrumental Selection..................... Undertow, John Mackey Performed by OHS Symphonic Band, Grant Maledy, director Introduction of Speakers......... Robert Brinkley Superintendent of Schools Speakers.......................... Brandon Alumbaugh Molly Baker Jay Baugh Lauren Grubb Makenzie Koch Matthew Specker Samantha Wilson Musical Selections....................................Flight Craig Carnelia Performed by OHS Chamber Choir, Scott Harvey, director Remember Samantha Wilson Performed by OHS Chamber Choir Seniors, Scott Harvey, director Presentation of Class............ John W. McGraw, principal Presentation of Diplomas.............Aaron Dillon, president Odessa R-7 Board of Education Closing..................................... Matthew Brown president Class of 2012 Benediction................Pomp and Circumstance, Edward Elgar
Makenzie Koch heads for Mizzou by Bud Jones Makenzie Koch, 4782 Magruder Rd., rural Odessa, will graduate May 11 as one of the summa cum laude graduates of the Class of 2012 at Odessa High School. “Summa cum laude,” “with the greatest distinction.” She is the daughter of Vernon and Kimberly Koch, Odessa, and the granddaughter of Virgil and Verneal Koch, rural Odessa, Betty Jewett, Olathe, Kan., and Larry and Becky Jewett, Leroy, Kan. Makenzie has a younger brother, Dalton, an OHS freshman. During her high school years, Makenzie has an impressive list of activities, honors and awards: >National Honor Society as a junior and senior, serving as chapter president her senior year; >School newspaper, The Growler, serving as a reporter in her sophomore year and editor her senior year; >Class officer, class secretary as a sophomore and a senior; >Chamber Choir, three years, serving as section leader all three years; > Concert Choir, four years, serving as section leader four years; >Women’s Choir, three years, with three years as section leader; > Show Choi r, t h re e years; >OHS Theatre Productions, sophomore, junior and senior years; > Speech and debate, reader’s threatre as a sophomore and junior, one-act play as a senior; >Cappies, Student Theatre Critique Program, president her senior year. >Academic Letter recipient, four years; >A Honor R oll, four years; >Yearbook staff as a junior.
Makenzie Koch
Makenzie lists her activities in various choirs among her favorite activities. “Choir has not only been an enjoyable activity for me, it also helped me develop leadership skills. As a section leader in choir, you learn the difference between being a leader and just being a boss.” She also lists her activities within her chosen career path of journalism, such as work on the school yearbook and the school newspaper, The Growler. “When I found out I was going to serve as editor for The Growler during my senior year, I was so excited.” Graduating summa cum laude from OHS was a goal of Makenzie’s, and one that she committed to early on in high school. “ T hat com m itment meant a lot of nights getting home late from a school activity and getting a homework assignment done that night, not procrastinating. It requires a commitment to yourself that you are not going to settle for a B+ or A-. The best you can do is what you should do every time.” She says her proudest
moments in high school came at two dif ferent times. First proudest moment was when she learned about her assignment as editor of The Growler. Second proudest moments came, as a result of hours of practice and preparation with a vocal ensemble that received a I rating at state competition. “All the work, all the practice seemed so worth it at that moment. It was really an awesome feeling.” Future plans involve attending the University of Missouri at Columbia and the world-renowned School of Journalism. She plans to major in print journalism. Looking 10 years into the future, she can see herself working as a writer or perhaps an editor at a print publication. Even farther into the future, Makenzie someday would like to be in journalism management or even run her own publication. At this point in her life, with high school coming to an end, and the rest of her life just beginning, she says that she is “really excited, but really scared at the same time. You re-
alize that you have been successful as a high school student, but at the next level, it’s not going to be as easy. Hopefully, I can take that same hard work ethic to MU, because I want to be just as successful there as I was at OHS.” She credits a couple of OHS English teachers with having a significant impact on her educational development: >Mike Shields, senior English teacher, who she says “got me started on my grammar fixation because he is so strict about proper English usage.” and >Kris Poisal, who was “a big influence on me in my sophomore year, when
she got me interested in a career path in writing and journalism.” Makenzie says her father is her greatest mentor in life, simply because “he always encourages me to do everything to the best of my ability. His expectations of me are in line with my own expectations for myself. And he is always supporting me, always pushing me to do whatever makes me the happiest.” She says the best thing about receiving her education in the Odessa R-7 District has been “getting an education from teachers who care about their students. The teachers want to see their stu-
dents succeed, have a good time and learn something, to become better young adults.” In her spare time away from school, Makenzie works part-time for Zion United Church of Christ at Mayview and at The Odessan. Her advice for potential high school students: “Keep focused on doing your best, every day, every assignment, every class. Concentrate on getting your work done and keep it up all four years. But your freshman year is probably the most important, so get off on the right foot and then just keep it going.”
Senior Personalities
Female Male Most Spirited............................................... Celeste Meuschke.................. Matthew Specker
Most Theatrical............................................ Elizabeth Cozart.................... Christian Haase Most Musical................................................ Elizabeth Cozart.................... Chrisitan Haase Most Creative.............................................. Corey Allen............................ Tony Harrison Most Likely to Succeed............................... Cailey Dowell......................... Jay Baugh Most Athletic................................................ Rachael Monteil..................... Caden Leigh Best Looking................................................ Meghan Johnson................... Colton Hilbrenner Best Body..................................................... Celeste Meuschke.................. Zach Torres Best Smile.................................................... Amanda Kannmore............... Josh Thomson Prettiest Eyes.............................................. Corey Allen............................ Brent Gibson Best Dressed................................................ Alyssa Banes.......................... Colton Hilbrenner Best Hair...................................................... Taylor Gilkeson..................... Chris Swearingin Best Personality........................................... Molly Baker........................... Zac Shaw, Josh Thomson Most Memorable.......................................... Rachel DeMoss...................... Amos Bailey Most Unique Laugh..................................... Cailey Dowell......................... Clayton Courtway Most Changed Since Jr. High....................... Ashton Dodson....................... Lee Volmer Least Changed Since Jr. High.......................Jamie Breshears...................... Skyler Holmes Most Optimistic........................................... Molly Baker........................... Josh Thomson Most Sarcastic............................................. Cera White............................. Lee Volmer Most Dependable......................................... Molly Baker........................... Jay Baugh Best Person to be Stuck............................... Rachel DeMoss...................... Tony Harrison in an Elevator With Class Couple................................................ Michaela Harvey................... Christian Hotchkin Class Clown................................................. Rachel DeMoss...................... Tyler Meierarend Best Automobile........................................... Meghan Johnson................... Garrett Fieth Most Sophisticated...................................... Cailey Dowell......................... Jay Baugh Biggest Gossip............................................. Kelsey Cox............................. Michael Boyd Most Likely to Wear Camo.......................... Katie Silvers.......................... Preston Kleoppel Best to Bring Home to................................. Jamie Breshears.................... Jay Baugh Mom and Dad Most Unique................................................ Misty Booe............................. Ian Evans Worst Driver................................................ Marium Ahmed...................... Khyler Wulfekotter Most Likely to Work at................................ Elizabeth Cozart.................... Andrew Schwartzhoff Disneyland Most Likely to Live in Odessa.......................Rilan Smith............................. Roger Cady in 15 years Most Likely to Live with............................. Emily Manczuk...................... Dustin Lancaster Parents in 15 Years Biggest Bookworm....................................... Kaci Manes............................ Traix Heiden Most Likely to Move Out............................. Kinsey Canon........................ Amir Yousef of the Country Likely to be a Star....................................... Samantha Wilson.................. Christian Haase Most Likely to be a Millionaire...................... Lauren Grubb...........................Amos Bailey Most Inspirational....................................... Samantha Wilson.................. Josh Thomson Best Dancer................................................. Alyssa Banes.......................... Khyler Wulfekotter Most Opinionated........................................ Lauren Grubb........................ Ryan Dillon Worst Joke Teller......................................... Cailey Dowell......................... Josh Thomson Worst Case of Senioritis.............................. Amoriah Singer..................... Roger Cady Person We Would Like to............................. Kim Draper............................ Jacob Geary Get to Know Better Most Involved.............................................................................................. Jay Baugh, Matt Brown Friends Forever........................................... Celeste Meuschke, Rilan Smith BFF’s............................................................................................................ Josh Thomson, Michael Boyd