Moses Lake high names top graduates

MOSES LAKE — Ten seniors at Moses Lake High School stood out from their peers to be named the top graduates of their class.

"This outstanding group of young men and women has established themselves as leaders at Moses Lake High School and in our community," said Moses Lake High School Principal Dave Balcom. "I am extremely proud of their accomplishments in the arenas of academics and athletics. They have left an indelible mark at Moses Lake High School and a legacy that they should take great pride in."

The top graduates for 2007 are Becky Jones, Erica DeLeon, Amanda Hickman, Emily Fry, Amanda Hochstatter, Brin Bergeson, Martha Fry, Donald McGraw, Cameron Frederick and Breanne Kernan.

The students participated in sports, joined Honors Society and earned college credits with advanced placement courses. They are all involved with extracurricular activities.

Lacking sleep and time management skills are ways the students juggle all of their responsibilities.

"Sleep is secondary," Frederick said.

Taking easy courses could not get a student into the top 10, even with top grades, the students noted.

"You had to actually challenge yourself," Kernan said.

After graduation, some students are attending college in Washington. Others are traveling as far away as Arizona, Minnesota and Colorado to continue their education.

Hochstatter is attending Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota for the strong math, science and arts programs.

DeLeon accepted $86,000 from Arizona State University for being a National Hispanic Merit Scholar.

Identical twins Martha Fry and Emily Fry said they push one another to succeed.

"She makes me do good because I can't do lower than her," Emily Fry said.

McGraw said his parents played a heavy role in his drive to succeed.

"Their influence has helped shape who I am as a person and guided me to become a well-rounded human being," he said. "Without my parents to influence the decisions in my life, I wouldn't have had the drive to accomplish all the things I have done throughout my life."

The top students are:

Brin Bergeson

College: Brigham Young University, Utah

Sport: Varsity basketball, varsity soccer, volleyball

Academic: Wendy's High School Heisman Award, ASB Leadership Representative, United States Achievement Academy Honor Roll winner, Honor Society, Student of the Month, Honor Roll, Advanced Placement Scholar, varsity basketball captain, varsity soccer captain

Most Inspirational Player twice in varsity basketball and varsity soccer, Distinguished Scholastic Award in soccer and basketball, Columbia Basin League Winter 2006-2007 Student Athlete Award, soccer: All Conference Honorable Mention in Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Big 9 League, All Conference Second Team in WIAA Columbia Basin League, Most Valuable Freshman, Most Inspirational, Offensive Most Valuable Player, Perfect Attendance

Extracurricular: President, first counselor, second counselor, secretary of church young women's group, active in church group activities and service projects including food drives, children's soccer and basketball camps and workshops, and donations to Ronald McDonald House

Scholarships: Moses Lake Alumni Association Scholarship

Erica DeLeon

College: Arizona State University

Sport: Junior varsity volleyball

Academic: Link Crew, Key Club, Honor Society, Hispanic Academic Achiever's Program Awards, Student of the Month - history (2005), AP statistics (2005), English (2006/2007), junior varsity volleyball academic award, National Hispanic Merit Scholar finalist, nominated to participate in National Young Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., United States Achievement Academy National Leadership Merit Awards

Extracurricular: Choir pianist, church pianist, church youth group president, seminary class president

Scholarships: Selected as Washington State University Distinguished Regent Scholar, $54,000; accepted Arizona State University National Merit Scholar award, $86,000

Cameron Frederick

College: Washington State University Honors College

Sport: Baseball

Academic: Key Club, Science Bowl, Honor Society, Link Crew, Advanced Placement Scholar, Washington Scholar, Washington State University Distinguished Regents Scholar, Evergreen Boys State, math team Most Valuable Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior; scored first in probability theta, second in theta individual, fourth in ciphering theta and fourth place team in Mu Alpha Theta state competition

Scored seventh in probability and combinations alpha at Mu Alpha Theta nationals, first place in 2003 Trimathalon, "Math is Cool" championships first place individual and team, Key Club Freshman Class Representative, Club Vice President, Club President, Regional Lieutenant Governor and 100-Hour Service Award recipient. Named Most Valuable Player in Moses Lake High School Knowledge Bowl in 2007, Most Valuable Team Member in Math as part of Knowledge Bowl in 2006

Extracurricular: Yonezawa, Japan Sister City Exchange Program student ambassador, First Presbyterian youth group, volunteered for: Habitat for Humanity, elementary reading program, highway cleanup, Kiwanis fair booth, food bank co-chair, kids and family festival, Children of Staff Easter egg hunt, UNICEF donation collection, American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Kiwanis rodeo breakfast, nursing home birdfeeder project, community Halloween night, school-wide blood drives

Scholarships: Full-ride scholarship covering tuition and fees from Washington Scholars

Emily Fry

College: Western Washington University

Sport: Varsity tennis

Academic: Varsity tennis Captain, Tennis Most Improved, Key Club 30-Hour Award, Science Olympiad, Honor Society, Science Bowl, Link Crew

Extracurricular: Church youth group

Scholarships: Western Washington University President's Scholarship, Jack Hume Scholarship, First Presbyterian Scholarship

Martha Fry

College: Western Washington University

Sport: Basketball, tennis

Academic: Key Club, National Honor Society, math team, Knowledge Bowl, Science Olympiad, regional Science Bowl, Link Crew, Advanced Placement Scholar

Extracurricular: Church youth group, bell choir

Scholarships: Western Washington University President's Scholarship, Seattle Business Forum Scholarship, Jack Hume Memorial Scholarship, First Presbyterian Scholarship

Amanda Hickman

College: Brigham Young University, Utah

Sport: Basketball, varsity volleyball, track

Academic: Key Club, Honor Society Scholarship Chairman, math team co-president, math team Coaches Award, sports medicine trainer, Advanced Placement Scholar; volleyball: Columbia Basin League Fall Athlete of the School, Most Valuable Player, Most Improved, Captain Award, Coaches Award

Amanda Hochstatter

College: Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota

Sport: Diving, tennis

Academic: Advanced Placement Scholar, Math team, Student of the Month - math (two years), Knowledge Bowl, pep band, "Math is Cool" proctor and quality control, band treasurer, Key Club, Link Crew, Mu Alpha Theta Math National Honor Society state competition second place in statistics, Science Olympiad Most Improved; diving: District Diver of the Year, Most Valuable Athlete, Most Improved Athlete, 24th place in state diving (2005)

Extracurricular: Advanced ballet, level eight competitive gymnast

Scholarships: Presidential Scholarship from Gustavus Adolphus College, $12,000

Becky Jones

College: Brigham Young University, Utah

Sport: Volleyball, tennis

Academic: Treasurer of National Honor Society Moses Lake chapter, two tennis coaches awards

Extracurricular: President of church young women's group, Rock "n" B Cloggers exhibition team, flute and piano, vice president of 4-H club

Scholarships: Award of Excellence Scholarship from Brigham Young University in Idaho, Academic Scholarship from Southern Virginia University

Breanne Kernan

College: Whitworth University

Sport: Softball, varsity tennis

Academic: Honor Society, Science Olympiad, Knowledge Bowl, Science Bowl, Honor Roll, Key Club Member of the Month

Extracurricular: Moses Lake Christian Church youth group, Yonezawa, Japan Sister City Exchange Program participant

Scholarships: Whitworth University Presidential Scholarship, $11,000 per year; Sam Walton Community Scholarship from Wal-Mart, $1,000

Donald McGraw

College: University of Colorado

Sport: Soccer

Academic: Honor Society, Key Club

Extracurricular: Yonezawa, Japan Sister City Exchange Program participant

Scholarships: University of Colorado Chancellor's Achievement Scholarship