Business partners and business volunteersBusiness partners and business volunteers

Salute to ValedictoriansClass of 2011Class of 2011

Page 2 Salute to Valedictorians - Class 2011Sa u e o a ed cc o aa s

Partners Salute 2011Partners Salute 2011

What is Partners inEducation?Partners in Education is a com-munity-wide partnership between schools, businesses and commu-nity members dedicated to ensuring the success of all K-12 students and schools in the Billings area.

What is the goal ofPartners in Education?The goal of Partners in Educa-tion is to build mutually benefi ting partnerships between schools and businesses that result in school im-provement, teaching excellence,

student achievement and apprecia-tion of common community goals.

What kinds ofpartnerships are there?There are many ways that organiza-tions and businesses can participate in a partnership with the schools in Billings. Each partnership is unique, depending upon the capacity of the business and the needs of the school. Example activities include:• Tutoring or mentoring students• Providing incentives for students

and faculty • Speaking at a Career Day or other

classroom events• Donating in-kind services, mate-

rials or equipment• Volunteering as contest judges,

fi eldtrip chaperones or pen pals

What are the benefi tsof a partnership?Many schools get additional sup-port through the partnerships such as tutors, mentors and extracur-ricular activities for students. Stu-dents also get the chance to meet adult mentors in the community and learn about career choices. Likewise, many employees enjoy

the opportunity to do something positive for the community and to be given time by their employer to do so. Businesses also benefi t from the positive image of giving back to the Billings community.

How do I start apartnership atmy school or business?To learn more about starting a part-nership at your school or business, please contact Krista Hertz at (406) 245-4133, or by email at hertzk@billingsschools.org.

Cellular Plus andBurlington Elementary Enthusiasm best describes the Cellular Plus and Burlington El-ementary partnership. On a weekly basis, volunteers from Cellular Plus assist in several classrooms and on the playground teaching play-ground games to students. At the start of each year, stu-dents from Burlington Elementary receive a Burlington Elementary T-shirt from Cellular Plus. These T-shirts are worn by students and staff on special occasions. The Spooktacular and annual school carnival have some of the coolest raffl e baskets due to dona-tions from Cellular Plus. Volunteers from Cellular Plus help at school functions, such as the school carnival and Saturday Live, where much needed dollars are raised for technology and other school needs. Burlington Elementary students collected $450 in change through a coin drive, and the Burlington PTA matched the amount. The money collected was donated to St. Jude’s in honor of Cellular Plus and the support they give the students at Burlington. Students at Burlington Elemen-

tary are very appreciative of their partnership with Cellular Plus. Now Your Talkin’.

CTA Architects andEngineers andNewman Elementary “I didn’t know my tutor was

really Santa’s elf,” exclaimed a 1st grader at Newman Elementary during the annual CTA holiday event. Each year an employee from CTA becomes Santa. He is joined by several CTA elves to deliver a gift to each student at Newman. The gifts are made possible through CTA employee donations to the Newman Fund. The Newman Fund also provides funding for students who are in need of a meal, warm clothing or other necessities that are shared with CTA by the school principal. Students at Newman form a special bond with the CTA employees who volunteer on a weekly basis at the school. The one-on-one mentor-ing is critical for the success of the students, especially those who need extra practice in reading and math. The diff erence the CTA volunteers make can be seen in improved test scores at the school and an increased self-confi dence by the students. CTA believes in helping students understand career oppor-tunities that they can pursue after they graduate and the importance of working hard in school to reach those goals. Each year CTA hosts a special

Earth Day project for all students at Newman. Earth Day projects vary each year. One year, students planted trees and another year students learned about why paper is recycled. Sixth Grade Career Day is the highlight of the year for most 6th graders at Newman. Students join CTA volunteers to tour projects that CTA engineers and architects have been working on around Billings. At each work site, students put on hard hats and discuss the nuances to each project. They also discuss the training for the jobs and which classes in school apply to these fi elds. Later in the day, students join employees at CTA for a barbeque and hands-on lessons in the fi elds of engineering and architecture. The impact CTA has on the stu-dents at Newman can be summed up by the statement a 6th grader shared last year at the awards ceremony, “When I grow up I am going to be an engineer at CTA!” Congratulations on a successful partnership.

On a weekly basis,volunteers from Cellular Plus assist in several classrooms

at Burlington Elementary.

eachchiningg exexcellence, , •• S Spepeaking at a Careeer r DaDayy oror ooththerer Likewisese, mamanyny empmploloyeyeeses enjjoyoy

Partnerships in ActionBillings businesses make a difference in Billings public schoolsBillings businesses make a difference in Billings public schools

See Action page 3See Action page 3

The Education Foundationand Billings Gazette

Communications are proud to honor businesses that support education in our community

and the students who have achieved the status ofvaledictorian in their

high school.

Partners Salute 2011 Page 2

Partners in Action Page 2

Partners in Education Page 3

Meet the Valedictorians Page 4-8

Salute to Valedictorians 2011is a special advertising

publication ofThe Billings Gazette.

Sales and Marketing DirectorDave Worstell

Special Sections CoordinatorLinsay Duty

Section DesignerChristine Cleveland

Access Salute toValedictorians 2011

anytime at billingsgazette.com/special-section/

valedictorians

Salute to Valedictorians - Class 2011 Page 3

Home BuildersAssociation of Billings and the Career Center In the mid-1970s, the Home Builders Association of Billings (HBA) teamed up with Billings School District 2 to invest in the building industry’s future. The idea was to give high school stu-dents hands-on training, build-ing one home per school year in Billings. The partnership has been mak-ing a positive diff erence on students and the community from the very beginning, and this year the HBA of Billings and Career Center will celebrate 35 years of creating op-portunities for our community’s students. “This is a win-win partnership for our students, the Home Build-ers Association of Billings and the community. The partnership is ex-tremely valuable in encouraging the upcoming workforce and providing them with hands-on training and support,” shared Ray Junkert, HBA of Billings president. The partnership received na-tional recognition and has become a prototype for other partnerships across the country. Currently in Montana, this is the only partner-ship of its nature fostering relation-ships between high school students and the building industry. The HBA of Billings takes on the ownership of the lot and home, while the Career Center provides the instructors for the project. It has

been so successful over the years that the project is now completely self-funded. The proceeds made on each house are reinvested in the next. The HBA of Billings works with Career Center teachers and students, making certain safety and building codes are strictly followed. After safety training, students get more hands-on instruction at the construction site. Also, the HBA of Billings selects the lot, provides the house plan and markets the home for sale. The partnership between the HBA of Billings and Career Center aff ects more than 150 students

in 17 courses. The groups work in tandem, building the home from the foundation up. Also, numer-ous professionals from across the community are directly involved in assisting students on all phases of the project.

KOA and PonderosaElementary Great People, Great Kids and Great Partnerships is the motto for the KOA and Ponderosa Elemen-tary partnership. Through this partnership, hundreds of kids at Ponderosa Elementary have ben-efi ted, as well as numerous KOA

employees. On a weekly basis, eight volunteers from KOA work with students in the areas of math and reading. “The KOA volunteers are very important to our school and our students,” shared 4th grade teacher, Ms. Muhlbeier, “Kids look forward to working with the volunteers. The relationships that are formed between volunteers and students are immeasurable. You can see a student’s self-confi dence increase as well as their sense of ac-complishment when working with KOA mentors.” KOA volunteers partnered with Cabela’s, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts last fall to bring the camping experience to Ponderosa students and families. KOA donates supplies for Saturday Live and the school carnival so the PTA can raise much needed funds for the school. KOA adopted a Ponderosa family at the holidays and provided gifts and supplies for them. Improving math scores is a priority this year for Ponderosa, and KOA volunteers have risen to the challenge. Twenty volunteers took part in the March Math Madness event teaching students math games. On behalf of the students and staff at Ponderosa Elementary, THANK YOU KOA!!

Snapshots of otherpartnerships. . .• ConocoPhillips provided

funding for students from Orchard, Newman and Pon-derosa Elementary to take part in the Audubon Conservation Education Center and more

than $2,500 to Riverside Middle School for their science and math curriculum.

• General Electric Center of Excellence employees volunteer at Big Sky Elementary and Wash-ington Elementary in a reading intervention program each week.

• Wells Fargo sponsors a diversity award to recognize students at Lewis and Clark Middle School at the end of the year.

• Altana Federal Credit Union employees volunteer on a weekly basis at Boulder Elementary helping students with reading.

• Stockman Bank hosted a fi nan-cial literacy 101 class for families at Orchard Elementary during the annual school carnival.

• Stockton Oil and ExxonMobil Education Alliance Grants have contributed $6,000 to eight schools for math and science this year.

• First Interstate Bank em-ployees volunteer at Bitterroot, Meadowlark and Highland elementary throughout the school year and support several projects.

• American Medical Response volunteers were a part of the Eagle Cliff Elementary school carnival.

• Wendy’s of Montana and Washington Elementary have been partners for fi ve years.

• St. Vincent Healthcare part-ners with the health enhancement program at Broadwater Elemen-tary encouraging kids to be active throughout the school year.

Each year, the Home Builders Association of Billings and Career Center students team up to build a home.

ActionActionContinued from page 2Continued from page 2

, Education Center and more

2011 Partners in EducationBusinesses making a difference in the lives of Billings studentsBusinesses making a difference in the lives of Billings students

• Altana Federal Credit Union and Boulder Elementary• American Appliance and the Career Center• American Medical Response and Eagle Cliff s Elementary• Berry Y&V and the Career Center• Billings Clinic and the Career Center• Billings Clinic and McKinley Elementary• Bresnan Communications and Central Heights Elemen-

tary• Carpet One and the Career Center• Cellular Plus and Burlington Elementary• City of Billings Met Transit and the Career Center• ConocoPhillips and Orchard Elementary and South Side

Neighborhood Schools• CTA Architects and Engineers and Newman Elementary• Denny Menholt and the Career Center• EBMS and Big Sky Elementary

• Expert Tire and the Career Center• ExxonMobil and Bench Elementary• ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Grants and Stock-

ton Oil and Billings Public Schools• Farmers Insurance Agents and Sandstone Elementary• Faux Smith and the Career Center• First Interstate Bank and Highland Elementary• First Interstate Bank - Grand and Will James Middle

School• First Interstate Bank - Heights and Bitterroot Elemen-

tary• First Interstate Bank - West and Meadowlark Elementary• Food Services of America and the Career Center• General Electric Center of Excellence and Big Sky El-

ementary and Washington Elementary• H&H Ent Alternative Energy and the Career Center

• Hanser’s Auto and the Career Center• Home Builders Association and the Career Center• Kampgrounds of America and Ponderosa Elementary• KTVQ-2 and Billings Public Schools• Local #30 Plumbers Pipefi tters and the Career Center• McDonald’s and Beartooth Elementary• MD Drywall and the Career Center• MSU Billings College of Technology and the Career

Center• National Restaurant Association of Billings and the

Career Center• Rimrock Lighting and the Career Center• Rimrock Plaster and the Career Center• RiverStone Health and the Career Center• RSVP Program and Billings Public Schools

See Partners page 4See Partners page 4

Page 4 Salute to Valedictorians - Class 2011

Attention allGrads, Moms,

Dads andGrandparents

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to celebrate your grads special occasion!

Publishes Sunday, May 29, 2011Deadline Friday, May 20, 2011

Add $1000 for each additional grad.

TGREET A GRAD

Register online at www.billingsgazette.com/grads

All Schools Welcome to Participate!

$$29299595Graduate Name

School Name

Example: Graduate you

have made us so proud. Good luck with your future, we know you will

be a success.

Love, Mom & Dad

Class of 2011Class of 2011CELEBRATE YOUR 2011 GRADUATECELEBRATE YOUR 2011 GRADUATE

High School: Billings Senior High SchoolParents: Nancy Dimich-Louvet and Thierry Louvet Post high school plans: I plan on majoring in Engineering at either Brown or Harvard University.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in edu-cation: Eagle Mount Ski Program, Tennis, Cross Country, Presenter and Producer of Senior High Daily An-nouncements, Class President and National Honor Society.Advice to Underclassmen: Take the most challenging classes, even if it means not getting an A. Take any-thing Vince Long teaches. Don’t miss Human Anatomy with Mr. Bartsch. Travel to as many places as you can.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Mr. Vince Long, Senior High School

High School: Billings Senior High SchoolParents: James Coons and Mary Lou Palmer Post high school plans: I plan on attending college at either Colo-rado State University or Oregon State University, but I am still un-decided. I want to double major in wildlife biology so I can someday work with endangered species and art because it has always been an important part of my life.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in ed-ucation: Soccer, track, skiing, art and National Honor Society.Advice to underclassmen: I would tell them to try their best and work hard because it really does pay off in the end. Even when things get rough, staying positive and getting support from friends helps you through it.Teacher who made the great-est positive impact: Mr. Den-nis Johnson, Billings Senior High School

SheaCoons

High School: Billings West High SchoolParents: Lisa and Rob Bazant Post high school plans: Attend the Davidson Honors College at the University of Montana to study business.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in education: Cross Country, Vol-leyball, Mentoring, Trading Cards, National Honors Society and Or-chestra.Advice to Underclassmen: Join as many clubs and sports as possi-ble, work hard and ask teachers for help and advice when you need it. If you want to do something, go for it!Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Mr. Rob Stan-ton, West High School

Lynsee Bazant

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High School: Billings West High SchoolParents: Ieva and Ken Bailey Post high school plans: I plan to go to Stanford and study history or philosophy. Afterwards, I want to go to law school and later become a clerk for a judge. After working sev-eral years as a criminal law lawyer, I want to try to become a judge.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in edu-cation: I’ve participated in Speech and Debate, Philharmonic Orches-tra, Trading Cards and National Honor Society.Advice to Underclassmen: I be-lieve it’s important to take classes that challenge you the most and to surround yourself with peers that actually care how they do in school. Also, getting involved in extracur-ricular activities like Speech and Debate can make your school expe-rience more enjoyable.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Dr. Bruce Wendt, West High School

KristaBailey

High School: Billings Skyview High SchoolParents: Barbara Dudczak and Bog-dan Abrahamowicz Post high school plans: I plan on attending a four-year university for pre-med. I’m currently looking at the University of Washington or the Uni-versity of Pennsylvania.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in educa-tion: I’ve been playing the piano for about eight years now and have also been singing. In school, I’m part of the academic team, and I feel this has re-ally allowed me to meet a lot of great people and learn so much new infor-mation.Advice to Underclassmen: Look-ing back, I regret not being involved to more activities. There are so many great opportunities at Skyview. It re-ally helps you fi nd a place to fi t and fi nd people who share your same interests.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: I feel like my educa-tion has been a culmination of the in-fl uences of so many great teachers I’ve had.

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• Rocky Mountain College and Rose Park Elementary• St. John’s Lutheran Ministries and Arrowhead Elemen-

tary• St. Vincent Healthcare and Broadwater Elementary• St. Vincent Healthcare and the Career Center

• St. Vincent Healthcare Foster Grandparent Programand Billings Public Schools

• Sam’s Club and Ponderosa Elementary• Sign Pro and the Career Center• Solomon Bruce Consulting and the Career Center• Stockman Bank and Orchard Elementary• Target - Heights and Alkali Creek Elementary• Taylor Electric and the Career Center

• Valley Federal Credit Union and Miles Avenue Elemen-tary and Skyview High School

• Willard’s Garage and the Career Center• Wells Fargo Bank and Lewis and Clark Middle School• Wendy’s of Montana and Washington Elementary• Yellowstone Bank and Broadwater Elementary

PartnersPartnersContinued from page 3Continued from page 3

Salute to Valedictorians - Class 2011 Page 5

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High School: Billings West High SchoolParents: Larry Fritz and Carol High-land-Fritz Post high school plans: I plan to continue my education by pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering. However, I also plan to keep music in my life. I am planning to attend either the University of Southern California, the Georgia Institute of Technology or MSU Bozeman.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in educa-tion: Forensics Club, Pep Band, Am-nesty International, Trading Cards, Red Lodge Music Festival and National Honor Society.Advice to Underclassmen: Take ad-vantage of the plentiful opportunities high school provides. Sure, you will have failures, but I guarantee that you will also have successes. More impor-tantly, the lessons you will learn in the process will be invaluable both in high school and in life.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Mrs. Shawna Good-man

NathanFritz

High School: Billings West High SchoolParents: Donald and Linda Glea-son Post high school plans: Attend MSU Bozeman and double major in fi sheries biology/management and hydrology then work in NW Montana with Bull Trout and cutthroat Trout.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in education: Football, Ecology Club, National Honors Society, Student Mentoring and Intramu-ral Sports.Advice to underclassmen: It is a lot easier to just do what needs to be done than to do nothing at all.Teacher who made the great-est positive impact: Mr. John Miller, West High School

BenGleason

High School: Billings Central Catholic High SchoolParents: Dr. Steve Hammond and Mrs. Bronwyn Hammond Post high school plans: Attend a northwestern college and study biol-ogy and environmental studies.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in edu-cation: High School Swim team, Billings Aquatic Club, Speech and Debate team, French Club, Volun-teering at St. John’s nursing home, St. Bernard’s Youth Group.Advice to Underclassmen: Al-ways challenge yourself and take rigorous courses, but try not to over-extend yourself. Ask questions, your teachers are there to help you! Be in-volved, make the most of every class regardless of whether or not you like it, and as my principal always says, participate!Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Dr. Deb Wines, Central High School

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High School: Billings Senior High SchoolParents: Rick Eastman and Kerri Tallerico Post high school plans: I plan to attend the University of Utah for mechanical engineering.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in ed-ucation: Volunteering for Special Olympics.Advice to underclassmen: I would tell underclassmen to par-ticipate in as many activities as they can without spreading themselves too thin. Also, get to know their teachers, study hard and take class-es that will spark their interest.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Mr. Patrick Ken-ney, Senior High School

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Brianna EatonHigh School: Billings Senior High SchoolParents: Rod and Sandi Eaton Post high school plans: I have not yet decided where I want to go to college, but I plan to study pre-medicine next year. My ultimate goal is to continue on to medical school.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in ed-ucation: Student Council, Track, Cross Country, EMT Ministries, Billings Clinic Student Volunteer, Piano, YoungLife, Youth Leader-ship Billings, Keyboard player for kid’s worship at Faith Chapel.Advice to Underclassmen: My advice is to strive to take more chal-lenging classes in order to better prepare for college. I also encour-age each student to venture outside their comfort zone by involving themselves in sports, clubs or other activities.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Ms. Dawn Car-son, Billing Senior High

Page 6 Salute to Valedictorians - Class 2011

High School: Billings West High SchoolParents: Jay and Gayle Nansel Post high school plans: After high school, I plan on attending Montana State University for either Civil or Electrical Engineering.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in edu-cation: Billings Career Center En-gineers Club, Varsity Soccer, Yel-lowstone County 4-H Ambassador, Hesper Hustlers 4-H Club, Mount Olive Lutheran Church Youth Group, Student Mentor and Trading Cards.Advice to underclassmen: Stay motivated by being interested, and stay interested by learning! Find something that fascinates you and learn everything there is to know about that topic. Also, relate boring lessons to your life in order to make them more appealing. The more you learn, the more interested you be-come.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Mr. Dave Tolton, Career Center

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High School: Billings West High SchoolParents: Joe and Karen Marcotte Post high school plans: After high school, I plan to study either me-chanical, civil, or electrical engi-neering, but I have not yet decided what university I will attend.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in ed-ucation: Key Club, Science Club, Math Club, Ecology Club, Varsity Golf, Westwinds, National Hon-or Society, Freshman Mentoring, Trading Cards, Apagón PatrolAdvice to Underclassmen: Find something that you are passionate about whether that is academics, sports or some other activity, and then involve yourself in that cause. Just like life, high school is much more enjoyable when you surround yourself with people who share your interests in something.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: I’ve had many terrifi c teachers the last 13 years.

Ryan Marcotte

High School: Billings Skyview High SchoolParents: Susan and Edward Kent Post high school plans: I will get a four-year degree in Biomedi-cal Engineering at Montana State University or Washington State University. After that, I plan to go to medical school to become an emer-gency physician.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in edu-cation: Science Bowl, Academic Team, Academic World Quest, Girls State and Softball.Advice to underclassmen: Give your best; do not settle for second place. Tackle every challenge head-on and have the determination to do well. Try many extracurricular activities, and do not be afraid to be creative. Your actions aff ect you in the future.Teacher who made the great-est positive impact: Mr. Rafael Zepeda, Skyview High School

Katie Kent

High School: Billings West High SchoolParents: Melvin and Jeanne Holm Post high school plans: To attend Montana State University Billings to fi nish my prerequisites. While fi nishing my prerequisites, I will be studying pre-physical therapy. I will then head to the University of Montana to start my three professional years of physical therapy.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in educa-tion: Volleyball, basketball, track and fi eld, cross country, trading cards, Na-tional Honor Society and French Club. They have taught me to be a leader as well as a team member.Advice to Underclassmen: The ad-vice that I would give to under-class-mates is to not let the boring part of school get you down. They need to get involved and stay involved with the school and all of its extracurricular ac-tivities. This is what has kept me fo-cused on my grades as well as being a good kid in general.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Mr. Lance Edward, West High School

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Veronnaka KlamertHigh School: Billings West High SchoolParents: Gene and Ronna Klam-ert Post high school plans: Pursue a degree in Crop Science at Mon-tana State University in Bozeman.Advice to Underclassmen: Just keep at it. No matter how hard something may seem to you there is always someone who is willing to help you understand as long as you give them the chance. It is your choice who you will be in the future so work hard to achieve your full potential.Teacher who made the great-est positive impact: Mr. John Miller, West High School

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Salute to Valedictorians - Class 2011 Page 7

Find out more about MSU Billings 406-657-2888 | www.msubillings.edu | admissions@msubillings.edu

congratulations valedictorians!

High School: Billings West High SchoolParents: Tammy and Calvin Sta-cey Post high school plans: I will attend the University of San Di-ego.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in education: Track and Field, Key Club, Ecology Club, PSI and Trading Cards.Advice to Underclassmen:Strive for your absolute best, but don’t let it deprive you of enjoying the time and company of others.Teacher who made the great-est positive impact: I’ve been positively infl uenced by all my teachers.

AlexStacey

High School: Billings West High SchoolParents: Steve & Shelley Prosinski Post high school plans: I plan to at-tend Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. I will study nursing and play on the Cobber’s soccer team.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in edu-cation: Playing soccer and basket-ball on high school and traveling teams has made me a better student and person by teaching me about hard work, discipline and commit-ment.Advice to underclassmen: High school can be four of the best years of your life if you CHOOSE to experi-ence it to the fullest. Become involved - participate in a club, play a sport, or join a music group. You will develop amazing relationships and discover who you are. Work hard in school - it will not only prepare you for college but also make you proud of your ac-complishments.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Mr. Curt Prchal, Will James Middle School

High School: Billings West High SchoolParents: Steve & Shelley Prosin-ski Post high school plans: Study nursing at Concordia College at Moorhead, Minnesota, and play soccer for the Cobbers.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in education: Playing sports, such as club soccer, varsity high school soccer and basketball, taught me how to manage my time and how to work successfully in a team. Student Council helped me grow into a leader among my peers.Advice to underclassmen:Challenge yourself by taking de-manding classes, making new friends and pushing yourself out-side of your comfort zone.Teacher who made the great-est positive impact: Mr. Curt Prchal, Will James Middle School

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High School: Billings West High SchoolParents: Christopher and Christine Sorli Post high school plans: After high school, I plan to attend col-lege to study either engineering or architecture. My goal is to become a leader in one of these fi elds and to contribute to our country’s energy independence.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in education: Swimming- Club and High School; Harp- Philharmonic Orchestra, Strings of the Heart; Piano; Guitar; National Honors So-ciety; Mentoring; Tutoring; Trad-ing Cards; Volunteering- Nursing Homes with harp, Hospital; Ecology Club; Ranch Hand; SkiingAdvice to Underclassmen: An ed-ucation will be one of the, if not the most, important assets you will gain throughout your life. The beauty of an education is that it becomes what you make of it, whether you actively pursue it or watch it slip away.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Mr. Lance Ed-wards, West High School

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Laura Prosinski High School: Billings West High School

Parents: David and Sara Ruff Post high school plans: I plan on going to an out-of-state university and earning my Masters degree in Biomedical Engi-neering.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in educa-tion: Billings Career Center Engineers Club, National Honor Society, West High Mentoring Program, West High Trading Cards, Youth Leadership Billings, State and District Music Festivals.Advice to underclassmen: It may seem like these are the most important and life changing years in your life. In reality, high school is just a taste of even greater experiences to come. I encourage you to not get stuck in a routine. Spice it up and take unique classes. You just might fi nd some deeper meaning to that math and science homework. Teachers are there for you. Use them. Work hard, have fun, remember, and share your ideas. Friends come and go and bad grades happen, but if you keep a good attitude (and sing a little tune now and then) anything is possible.Teacher who made the greatest posi-tive impact: My engineering teacher Mr. Dave Tolton, Career Center

Mahli Ruff Jeni Sorli

Page 8 Salute to Valedictorians - Class 2011

High School: Billings Skyview High SchoolParents: Kenneth and Lorraine Wa-terson Post high school plans: I plan to attend either Washington State Uni-versity or Montana State University and go into chemical engineering and then on to medical school.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in edu-cation: Business Professionals of AmericaAdvice to Underclassmen: I would tell under classmates to take honors and/or AP classes.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Mr. Fred Michels, chemistry teacher at Skyview High School

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2225 BROADWATER AVENUE • BILLINGS, MONTANA 59102

High School: Billings West HighSchoolParents: Larry and Arleen Woodley Post high school plans: My post high school plan is to attend the Uni-versity of Washington and study in their Biomedical Engineering pro-gram. After that, I plan on either go-ing into med school or receiving my Masters degree.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in edu-cation: Tennis, Engineers Club, Trading Cards, Mentor and Ameri-can Heart Association.Advice to Underclassmen: The best advice I have is to fi nd diff erent ways to motivate yourself each and every day. By doing this, you are able to learn much more.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Mr. Dave Green, West High School

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TravisWoodley

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High School: Billings Skyview High SchoolParents: R. Curt Wicker and Con-nie Wicker Post high school plans: I plan on attending Montana State Univer-sity in the fall to major in mechani-cal engineering. Also, I would like to compete in a triathlon sometime in the near future.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in education: Soccer, Band, Church Youth Group, Montana Boy State, National Honor Society and being a Hunter Safety Instructor.Advice to underclassmen: Do not sit by passively, waiting for high school to go by. Instead, set goals for your life and work to-ward achieving those goals. Take responsibility for your own educa-tion, and spend your time learning about what interests you.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Mr. Fred Mi-chels and Mr. Rod Gottula, Sky-view High School

Jeremy Wicker

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Jenna Waterson

High School: Billings Skyview High SchoolParents: Jay and Marsha Stott Post high school plans: At-tend Brigham Young University Idaho and study engineering as well as serve a mission for my church.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in education: Basketball, Busi-ness Professionals of America, Student Council, Trading Cards and National Honor Society.Advice to underclassmen: Be involved, don’t let opportunities pass you by, have a good attitude and have fun.Teacher who made the great-est positive impact: Mr. Kas Ioane, Skyview High School

DallinStott

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AliceStears

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High School: Billings Senior High SchoolParents: Dr. Robert and Karen Stears Post high school plans: I plan to attend college out of the state, but I have not yet decided which school I will attend. I hope to pursue a de-gree in Biological Sciences, and after college I plan on attending graduate school.Extracurricular activities that played an important role in edu-cation: National History Day, Desti-nation Imagination and Flute Private Study.Advice to underclassmen: Do not be afraid to take risks and try new things. Pushing yourself is the only way to get better and discover the things that you love to do. Also, do not get intimidated by diffi cult work or what others expect from you. If you really want something, you can make it happen, regardless of other’s expectations.Teacher who made the greatest positive impact: Ms. Cynthia Webb (UW Lab School, Laramie, WY)