HVA honors leaders, top academic feats
Hardin Valley Academy rewarded students and a teacher for leadership, academics and dedication during its 2017 Senior Celebration.
Parents, fellow students and community award presenters attended the awards ceremony, which took place Friday, April 28, in the school’s gymnasium.
“Today, we’re gathered to celebrate the many accomplishments of the Hardin Valley Academy senior Class of 2017,” Sallee Reynolds, HVA principal, said. “The Class of 2017 has played an incredibly significant role in continuing the Hardin Valley Academy tradition.”
On another note, senior Nikki Smith spoke on “Don’t Take Life Too Seriously.”
Among this year’s accomplishments, the school named candidates of its highest award, the Hawk Award, for which the winner will be announced at HVA’s graduation Wednesday, May 17.
This year’s candidates are Dawson Byard, Madison Clevenger, Tim Frizzell, Gavin Greene, Rebekah Hampton, Brennan Humphreys, Aubrey Keller, Andrew Merritt, Maggie Olsen, Rowan Palmer, Austin Rambo, Kendall Shanks and Brianna Weber.
Reynolds also announced Brandon Chu, who earned a 4.554 grade-point average, is the class valedictorian. Jackson Smith, who earned a 4.513 GPA, is salutatorian.
Other HVA top 15 seniors academically are Keller, Shauna Acker, Paul Cianciolo, Joshua Getz, Jana Giaquinto, Sarah Hall, Phillip Hicks, Matthew Klingerman, Chase Matlack, Palmer, Breanna Piercy, Abigail Wysor and Jessica Wysor.
Along that same line, Matlack and Palmer were named as National Merit Scholar Finalists. Three other seniors, Getz, Klingerman and Sascha Richey, were named Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Reynolds said the commended students all placed among the top 5 percent from more than 1.6 million students who entered the 2017 competition.
Reynolds also recognized Bri Barnett, who participated in Tennessee American Legion Auxiliary’s 2016 Girls’ State program, and Sydney Rowell for receiving the Youth Leadership Award for serving on Knox County Board of Education and U.S. Senate Youth Program, for which she received a $10,000 scholarship.
The school’s Teacher of the Year award went to Brooke Bianchi-Pennington.
Of the many HVA seniors who received scholarships, Chu and Richey received the Ned McWherter Scholarship for $6,000 per academic year.
At the same time, Palmer received a Good Citizen Award from Daughters of the American Revolution Andrew Bogle Chapter and Ellis Chapman received the Heart of Hardin Valley Award.
Caleb Fenton, a junior, was chosen by the school’s spirit leaders to carry on as the next spirit leader.
Students who had perfect attendance while at HVA were Moriah Brown, Amberly Clark, Klingerman and Shelby Miller. Students also received awards in English, literature, foreign language, math, science, STEM classes, journalism and other academic and club awards.
