MONTAGUE – Commencement is the culminating activity for any high school student. At Montague Area Public Schools, however, Senior Awards night is always a special occasion.
“The awards really honor their work and efforts,” Montague High School principal Christy Thommen said. “It is a very exciting night and very rewarding to see students accept (awards) with pride.”
On May 16, several members of Montague’s Class of 2024 were recognized in a big way.
Dozens of awards and scholarships are presented, funded or supported by community organizations, The Community Foundation, and colleges.
The two biggest academic awards presented include:
- The Special Merit Cup, presented for outstanding leadership, participation in activities, promoting school spirit, good scholarship, and excellent conduct.
- The Price Citizenship Award, presented to a senior who is both a good citizen and good student.
Delaney Schultz and Ella King earned the Special Merit Cup and Price Citizenship Award, respectively, for Montague’s Class of 2024.
In March, Schultz and King teamed up and represented Montague very well in a West Michigan Student Showcase musical performance at the Frauenthal Center.
Montague’s Ella King and Delaney Schultz (Courtesy of Montague High School)
“Delaney Schultz is a leader through and through,” Thommen said. “She held multiple leadership positions in student senate, FFA, NHS, and had great respect from her peers and staff alike.
“She always had a smile on her face, a positive attitude, and excelled academically. Her involvement in activities is just a glimpse of how big her commitment was to MHS. She exemplified all of our CORE qualities and was a great mentor for all students.”
Schultz, the daughter of Darren and Beth Schultz, understands how prestigious of an award the Special Merit Cup is, so she was “really honored” to be chosen for it.
The 4.126 student will attend Concordia University in Ann Arbor to study special education and join the worship team.
“I am so grateful to have spent my high school years at Montague surrounded by great faculty, staff, and students,” Schultz said. “Looking back, I am so thankful for all the opportunities I was presented with and am glad I got myself involved. However, I feel super ready to go into this next chapter of my life and start college this fall.”
King, the daughter of Eric and Melissa King, plans to attend Muskegon Community College. She’s considering taking classes to help dip her toes into physical therapy.
King is inspired by her family members and how hard they work.
“They have shown me that I should live my life doing my absolute best in everything I try and do,” said King, who was a 3.68 student.
If Ella King’s receiving of the Price Citizenship Award is any indication, that message has resonated with her.
“Ella King is the best example of what it means to be friendly and outgoing,” Thommen said. “She is well liked by students and staff and will always greet everyone, even strangers, with a smile and a hug. Almost anyone would be able to call her a friend in the building and she exhibits so many qualities that one would list when thinking of a great human.”
Thommen said it is very tough to choose award and scholarship winners sometimes. The process Montague uses allows for recipients to be chosen fairly and by faculty votes, but Thommen said it can still be difficult when multiple students are nominated and all are very deserving.
Here is a list of Senior Award recipients for Montague’s Class of 2024:
MAJOR AWARDS
- Special Merit Cup Award: Delaney Schultz
- Price Citizenship Award: Ella King
- Arrowhead Female Athlete Award: Kennedy Johnson
- Howell Male Athlete Award: Christopher Aebig
- Valedictorian: Richard Kroll
- Salutatorian: Eric Brown
OTHER AWARDS
- EG Townsend Award: Kayti Steinbrook
- Troy Lohman Drama Award: Eric Brown
- Principal Spirit Award: Jimmy Thommen
- John Philip Sousa Award: Aurelia Ambriz
- O’Connell Athletic Award: Paul Olson
- The Rose Award: Ella King
- Keith Griffin FFA Scholarship: Abby Woller
- Scholarship for Artistic Endeavors: Autumn Phipps
- Lincoln Lamphere Scholarship: Christopher Aebig
- MTEA Scholarship: Claire Fleser
- Trevino Scholarship: Kennedy Johnson
- John Flynn Memorial Scholarship: Finnian Kelley
Kennedy Johnson is not alone, but she is an example of a student who has grown as a person while at Montague. She will be attending Muskegon Community College, where she’ll continue her studies and play softball for the Jayhawks.
“During my time spent at Montague, I made so many friendships and built lasting relationships with my peers, coaches, teachers, and staff,” said the daughter of Rick and Elizabeth Johnson, who carried a 3.98 GPA. “I became very involved and put myself out there, growing in many ways.
“When I first began high school, I was super shy, and by the end I had gained so much confidence in myself I never thought I would have. Without a doubt, I wouldn’t have gotten where I am today without the experiences I endured and organizations I participated in.”
According to Christy Thommen, “resilience” and “grit” are two words she uses to describe Montague’s Class of 2024.
“They began high school in a way that no other class has experienced with COVID and then continued to persevere as we evolved and moved forward with new policies and experiences,” she said.
