54th Annual SAA Banquet Held Thursday

The 54th Annual Society for Academic Achievement Banquet was held Thursday night. The event honors the Top 5% academically of the senior, junior and sophomore classes at St. Anthony and Effingham high schools. The banquet is sponsored by the Effingham Sunrise Rotary Club and Effingham Noon Rotary Club. This year's event was held in the Multi-Purpose Room at St. Anthony High School with Sunrise Rotarian Doc Kralman serving as emcee.

Eastern Illinois University Vice President for Enrollment Management Josh Norman served as the guest speaker, focusing on quotes from famous people and encouraging those present to fill in the blanks in those quotes. The focus was to help students think about characteristics that will aid them during their college career.

The students honored at the event:

SENIORS--Chloe Blackwell, Aiden Hanks, Charly Kreke, Alexander Kruger, Ellie Macklin, and Mallory Tappendorf of EHS and Madeline Kibler, Grace Niebrugge and Pierce Verdeyen of SAHS

JUNIORS--Kristen Armstrong, Melana Benavides, Morgan Cekander, Ashlyn Davis, Adam Flack, Emily Greuel, Isabella Harkins-Albin, Sarah Hirtzel, Lillyonna Jackson, Tyler Jenson, Emma Jones, Logan Jones, Tyler Lake, Jessica Larsen, Sydney Nelson, Harsh Patel, Peter Rosen, Rayden Schneider and Maxwell Seachrist of EHS and Madison Hoene, Elijah Poston and Mary Scheidemantel of SAHS

SOPHOMORES--Landon Beck, Hannah Buckman, Max Buzzard, Sydney Cunningham, Abby Feldhake, Maximus Greenwood, Maggie Jenkins, Isabella Jones, Leah Layne, Emma Newlin, Berkley Pullen, Hayden Wendling, Reese Wendling, Nicolle Wells and Averie Wolfe of EHS and Ronan Bailey, Liv Hoene, Audrey LaSarge, Aiden Lauritzen, Laney Walker and Michael Wright of SAHS.