Wednesday, Jul. 28, 2010

School Notes

Clayton junior meets vice president

A Clayton High School junior was a recent party guest of Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden.

Malinda Gowin was in Washington, D.C., as a winner in the Weekly Reader Student Publishing Contest. Her essay about her grandfather's death was among six winners nationwide in the high school division. Gowin won $500, airfare to Washington and a night at the Washington Hilton before the awards banquet.

While in Washington, she attended the Biden Beach Boardwalk, an outdoor party that the Bidens hosted for Washington news reporters. Guests included CNN's Wolf Blitzer, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, presidential adviser David Axelrod and former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan.

Honors at Barton

The LifeLong Education and Extended programs at Barton College have released their Dean's List for 2009-2010. The following students from in and around Johnston County made the list: Ginger Ann Williams of Angier; Gracelyn LaTonja Sander, Lisa Calder Teeter and Tricia L. Tetro, all of Clayton; Wendy Lynn Pendergraph of Garner; Amanda Brooke Creech and Emily Temple Strong, both of Selma; and Misty L. Ricard and Ashley Morgan Stone-Brown, both of Smithfield.

UNC Dean's List

A number of area residents earned places on the spring semester Dean's List at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They are listed below by community.

Clayton - Dana Christian Alibrandi, Brandy Nichole Baugh, Desiree M. Chavis, Douglas Scott Chenier, Caitlin Elizabeth Clement, Abigail Ruth Crider, Michael A. Deigan, Steven Richard Eannarino, Kelli Lynn Eichel, John Robert Fratianni, Sharlene Afton Gale, Serena Nicole Hackerott, Amanda Michelle Johnson, Mary Katherine Lassiter, Kathleen Patricia Loeven, Kristen Dolores Peet, Jennifer Nicole Smith, Leslie Erin Taylor, Kristin Jordan Williams and Randi Lane Wills.

Garner - Emily Dare Carter, Emily Kate Johnson, April Heather Pullium and Chloe Joy Whiteaker.

Willow Spring - Brandi N. Baker and Devin McCafferty Miller.

Scholarship winners

The Rotary Club of Central Johnston County recently awarded $23,585 in scholarships to graduating seniors in the county's seven high schools. The recipients are listed below by school.

Clayton High - Michael Baporis, Corinne Wilder and Mark Taylor.

Johnston County Middle College High - Rebekah Brittain, Ariana Phelps and Kevin Paye.

North Johnston High - Ethan Boyette, Erin Pope, Courtney Jernigan and Ericka Faircloth.

West Johnston High - Christopher McGuire, Cameron Hance and Casey Malone.

The money came from the 2010 Four Oaks Bank Rotary Golf Classic.