What are your neighbors up to? CarolinaCrown opens season, residents celebrate wins
CarolinaCrown, Fort Mill’s own premiere drum and bugle corps, kicked off its 2018 season with a premiere show Sunday at Nation Ford High School.
The band will perform its 2018 show “Beast” nationwide on this summer’s competition tour circuit. CarolinaCrown, which has about 230 members including color guard, features students from around the world who audition for a spot. The members range in age from 16 to 22 years old.
More information, including how to support the group and help with tour expenses, is available at carolinacrown.org.
Girls on Run awards scholarships
Girls on the Run Tri-County SC, a youth development program for third through eighth graders, recently awarded its annual alumni college scholarships. The scholarships are awarded to Girls on the Run alumni who give back to their communities and represent the values of the organization.
Recipients are Eleanor Gilleland of Rock Hill, Emily Gerdes of Indian Land and Maryann Lovern of Chester County.
Fort Mill students win competitions
On April 21, Nation Ford High School’s JROTC members participated in a national drill team championship in Gray, Tenn. The Fort Mill team took second place overall out of 15 teams.
Fort Mill High School’s Buzz TV class took home three Emmy awards on eight nominations from the National Academy of Television Arts and Science Southeast chapter, which honors high school and college video production students, a release states.
Fort Mill won in the high school categories for Newscast, News: General Assignment Serious News and in Animation, Graphics and Special Effects, according to the academy.
Residents show their talent in ‘Italian Idol’
On May 19, residents showcased their talent during the Italian Idol competition at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church’s annual Italian Festival.
In the senior division, the winners were: first place, Hannah Rabon; second place, Kylie Levosky; and third place, Arianna Rakel. In the junior division, first place went to Sarah Willoughby; second place to Denaya Shepard; and third place Angelica Cebanu.
York County students graduate from online programs
On June 8, Rock Hill residents Brooklyn Bailey, Jeremy Beam, Lauren Moll, William Silvonic and Peyton Crews graduated from the S.C. Connections Academy, an online public school.
Fourteen York County students graduated on June 2 from the S.C. Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, a release states.
The Governor’s school offers advanced Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, classes virtually and at its Hartsville district. The Governor’s School partners with school districts across the state and is open to accomplished sophomores, juniors and seniors.
The York County graduates are: Thien-An Bui (Fort Mill), Nathaniel Crago (York), Tyler Feemster (Rock Hill), Rebecca Flanagan (Tega Cay), Amanda Hardin (Rock Hill), Connor Jenkins (Rock Hill), Catlyn Johnson (Rock Hill), Anna Kadau (Lake Wylie), Shirley Mathur (Tega Cay), Anne McElvenny (Lake Wylie), Collin Myers (Fort Mill), Christopher R. Poston (Rock Hill), Harrison Snow (Lake Wylie) and Jaden Tennis (Fort Mill).
York Technical College leader earns fellowship
Monique Perry, York Technical College’s assistant vice president, is a 2018-19 recipient of the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence.
Perry is one of 40 selected nationwide for the Aspen Institute’s leadership program, a release states. Perry will join other fellows on a 10-month fellowship beginning in July.
York County schools name new leaders
Riverwalk Academy, a K-8 public charter school in Rock Hill, added four new members to its school board. Elections were held in May and the members start their two-year terms on July 1.
The elected members are parents Michael Riddle, Joy Terhune, Mark “Ben” Ignatoiwicz and Lawrence Black, according to Riverwalk.
John Jones was named in May the Rock Hill school district’s new chief academic and accountability officer, according to the district. Jones replaces outgoing leader Harriett Jaworowski.
From Chesterfield, Jones has served as a teacher and administrator in the Carolinas. In 2003, Jones was principal of Sun Valley Middle School in North Carolina, where he helped lay the framework for Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies, or PBIS, which is used in Rock Hill.
Jones also served as director of middle school education for Union County Public Schools from 2009 to 2012. He most recently served as the assistant superintendent for teaching and learning in union county.
Shelia Higgs Burkhalter was named Winthrop University’s new vice president for student affairs, effective July 2. Burkhalter has been serving in the same role at the University of Baltimore since 2010. Burkhalter replaces Frank Ardaiolo, who is retiring after 29 years of service to Winthrop.
New director for Boys and Girls Clubs
Ronna Butler was named executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of York County, effective July 1, according to the organization. Butler has been with the Boys and Girls Club since 2005. She joined the York County club in 2016 as the director of club services.
“Ronna’s passion for serving youth has shaped her long-term professional goals within the Boys and Girls Club movement and she has truly made an impact on our Clubs here in York County,” said outgoing CEO Grace Lewis.
Lewis and Sara Blancke, director of development and marketing, have accepted positions with the clubs of the Crescent Region.
This feature appears twice a month in The Herald highlighting people’s accomplishments and celebrations from around the region. Email submissions to aharris@heraldonline.com.
This story was originally published June 18, 2018 at 10:09 AM with the headline "What are your neighbors up to? CarolinaCrown opens season, residents celebrate wins."