Latest news with #OutstandingStudentAward
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cowley College student named Ark City's top student
ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (KSNW) — A Cowley College student has been selected as the top student in Arkansas City for 2025, earning recognition in a long-standing program that celebrates academic achievement and community involvement among local youth. Jessi Ritchhart was named the 2025 City of Arkansas City Outstanding Student during a banquet held Monday night in the Wright Room at Cowley College. As this year's overall winner, Ritchhart will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the city. Amazon to open delivery center in southwest Kansas The Outstanding Student Award program, established in 1984, recognizes students from Cowley College, Arkansas City High School, and Arkansas City Middle School. Finalists are nominated by educators and selected by a committee appointed by the mayor and city commissioners, according to a news release about the program. Genesis Mendez, a student at Arkansas City High School, was named first runner-up and will receive a $500 scholarship. Haven Gutierrez, from Arkansas City Middle School, was named second runner-up and will receive a $250 scholarship. Finalists from each school participated in informal interviews as part of the selection process. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local firefighters graduate from Firefighting Academy
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Twelve firefighters from western and central Massachusetts have graduated from the 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. State Fire Marshal Jon Davine announced on Friday that the firefighters of Class #S40 worked hard to represent each of their departments and learned valuable skills and training throughout the program. Mayor Garcia to represent Holyoke in Ireland 'Massachusetts firefighters are on the frontlines protecting their communities every day, and today's graduates are needed now more than ever,' Davine said. 'The hundreds of hours of foundational training they've received will provide them with the physical, mental, and technical skills to perform their jobs effectively and safely.' The twelve graduates serve the fire departments of Athol, Chicopee, Easthampton, Holyoke, Longmeadow, South Hadley Fire District 1, Southbridge, and Uxbridge. Throughout the 10-week course, the firefighting students practiced under controlled fire conditions, life safety, and search and rescue. Beyond simply putting out fires, they were equipped to handle emergencies such as gas leaks and chemical spills. 'Massachusetts Firefighting Academy instructors draw on decades of experience in the fire service to train new recruits,' said Massachusetts Firefighting Academy Deputy Director Dennis A. Ball. 'Through consistent classroom instruction and practical exercises, today's graduates have developed the tools they'll need to work seamlessly with veteran firefighters in their home departments and in neighboring communities as mutual aid.' One firefighter also received the Richard N. Bangs Outstanding Student Award, named after the longtime chair of the Massachusetts Fire Training Council. The award is given to a recruit demonstrating exemplary academic and practical abilities within the program, and it was granted to Conor Lordan of the Athol Fire Department. These recruits have met the national standards for firefighter professional qualifications, and can now move forward and serve their communities with strength and dedication. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
27 local firefighters graduate from Massachusetts Firefighting Academy
STOW, Mass. (WWLP) – Twenty-seven firefighters from across Massachusetts, including Deputy State Fire Marshal Maribel Fournier, have graduated from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy's Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Training Program. The graduates of Call/Volunteer Recruit Class #116 were honored during a ceremony at the Academy's main campus in Stow. The class represents fire departments from 15 communities, including Carlisle, Dover, Grafton, Harvard, Holliston, Hopedale, Lancaster, Mendon, Millis, Millville, Norfolk, Northbridge, Pepperell, Sherborn, and Sterling. 'Massachusetts firefighters are on the frontlines protecting their communities every day, and today's graduates are needed now more than ever,' said Davine. 'The hundreds of hours of training they've completed on nights and weekends have prepared them with the physical, mental, and technical skills they need to perform their jobs safely. This is a tremendous accomplishment, and I'm especially proud of Deputy State Fire Marshal Fournier, who completed this program while continuing her leadership responsibilities with our agency.' Fournier, representing the Sterling Fire Department, has served as Deputy State Fire Marshal since 2017 and previously led the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy as acting director. In her time with the Department of Fire Services (DFS), she has overseen major projects, including facility expansions in Stow and Springfield and the development of DFS's newest campus in Bridgewater. Fournier also played a critical role in expanding remote learning options during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'The instructors at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy bring decades of experience to new recruits,' said Dennis A. Ball, Deputy Director of Training for the Academy. 'Through a mix of classroom lessons and hands-on training, these graduates have built the essential skills they will need to keep their communities safe.' During the ceremony, Firefighter Christopher Watson of the Norfolk Fire Department was recognized with the Martin H. McNamara Outstanding Student Award. Named in honor of Martin 'Marty' McNamara V, a Lancaster call firefighter who died in the line of duty in 2003, the award honors recruits who excel in academics, practical skills, and overall performance during training. A recording of the graduation ceremony will be available on the Department of Fire Services' YouTube channel. The Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Training Program is specifically designed for those serving in call and volunteer departments, offering the same rigorous curriculum as full-time firefighter training while accommodating participants' work and school schedules. Since its launch in 2003, more than 3,000 firefighters have graduated from the program, which helps prepare first responders in smaller communities to protect lives and property. The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy operates under the Department of Fire Services and provides training programs to support fire departments statewide. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Auburn student survives shooting, credits positive mindset for achieving Illinois academic award
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Calvin McGee survived a shooting when he was 15, but didn't let that derail his academic pursuits. Now, the Auburn High School senior is receiving an Outstanding Student Award from the State of Illinois, and he says it's his mindset that allowed him to excel in the classroom. McGee was one of six students across the state to be awarded the Illinois Coalition for Education At-Risk Youth's (ICEARY) Outstanding Student Award. 'I had a lot of challenges that I had to overcome. Me being shot, yeah me being shot. I had to step back from that. That definitely changed my mindset,' he said after receiving the award on Wednesday. When he was 15, McGee was shot while protecting his infant nephew when gunfire peppered his home. His mother was also injured in the shooting and was left unable to work. McGee took on a job in addition to his school studies but said he refused to let his other obligations slow him down. 'I went through depression, back when I got shot, and it made me step back and it made me think like, 'I can't be here forever. Everything that happened to me happened to me for a reason, so I can't really live it off the bad. I got to learn how to prepare for the future from that situation,'' he said. Assistant Principal Nicole Brady nominated him after learning of his story and his survival. 'Calvin's a quiet leader. He's going to lead from the middle. He's going to do what he needs to do,' Brady said. 'He's a really talented artist. His teachers say he's shown resilience and is a kid that we want others to learn from, to really recognize kids in the state who have overcome hardships and shown resilience.' Now, he's finishing his studies at Auburn's Creative and Performance Arts Academy, developing a passion for videography. McGee says he doesn't see himself as a role model, but he does hope younger students who go through similar experiences can learn from him. 'Keep going. It's always light at the end of the tunnel. Just keep going. That's all I can say. Never give up, because I've got a lot of times I would just sit in my room and cry. But, you know, once you do stuff good, good things happen to you,' he said. McGee said his next goal is to learn two trades, welding and plumbing, by the time he's 22. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
