Dateline: May 15, 2003

Clarendon, Hedley name top students for Class of '03

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Top students for the Class of 2003 were named last week at both Clarendon and Hedley High Schools. Valedictorians are Valerie Taylor and Lauren Hill, and Salutatorians are Lacey Anderberg and Lisle Rowland.

Valerie Taylor, daughter of John and Susanne Taylor, has been named Valedictorian of Clarendon High School with a GPA of 100.97.

Taylor has been involved in many extracurricular activities including Junior Historians for four years.  She has served as president of the local chapter.  She participated in National History Day all four years and submitted a first place paper at the State Junior Historian meet this year. 

Taylor has played the bassoon for the Bronco Band four years and qualified as an All-Region Band member for all four of those years.  She has also been a member of the Clarendon High School Science Bowl team.  She competed in UIL Literary Criticism, Journalism, and One Act Play while qualifying for regional and state competition and placing sixth in Literary Criticism at the State Meet.

Valerie has also received many honors.  She is a member of the Clarendon High School National Honor Society and has served as president of the local chapter.  She was also chosen to attend the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference as a sophomore and has been named a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student.

Valerie’s outside of school activities include membership in the First Baptist Church Youth, and she has served in the Children’s Church Ministry as a volunteer.  Valerie has also been an office assistant at the Clarendon Family Medical Center.

Valerie plans to attend Texas Tech University, where she plans to major in English.

Lauren Hill is the Valedictorian of Hedley High School.  She is the daughter of Bryan and Debbie Hill.  She has attended Hedley School for the past 13 years.  She has been on the ‘A’ Honor Roll and is graduating with a 97.65 average.

Hill was active in basketball, tennis, track, cross-country, UIL Academics, Choir, BPA, FFA, and One Act Play.  She received awards of First Team All-State and Player of the Year in 1A basketball.  She was a three-year regional qualifier in tennis and track.  She competed in Number Sense, Calculator Applications, and Mathematics at regional for four years, and Mathematics one year at state. 

Hill is also involved with the youth group at church and enjoys playing the piano. 

Lauren plans to attend a four-year college, play basketball, and graduate with an accounting degree.

Lacey Anderberg, daughter of Jeff and Sandy Anderberg, has been named Salutatorian for Clarendon High School with a GPA of 100.26.  She has received a full tuition scholarship to Oklahoma Baptist University, where she will major in general studies.

Lacey has also been very involved in extracurricular activities.  She has played basketball for 4 years, been a band member for four years while qualifying for State Solo and Ensemble on the trombone, and has been a student council member for four years serving as secretary her junior year and vice president this year.  Lacey has also been involved in UIL literary events for four years while winning state in Editorial Writing and qualifying for regional Persuasive Speaking.

Lacey has been a member of the National Honor Society and has served as vice president of the local chapter this year.  She has also received the Wendy’s Heisman nomination and has been awarded the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award.  In addition she received the Lady Bronco Fighting Heart award her junior year.

Lacey is a member for the Calvary Baptist Church youth group.

Lisle Michael Rowland is the Salutatorian for Hedley High School and is the son of Mike and Linda Rowland. He has attended Hedley School for ten years.

Rowland played varsity football for three years and took a year off to be mascot.  He is a member of the National Honor Society and the UIL Math and Science teams.   He has earned his Eagle Scout rank and has participated in FFA and 4-H. 

Rowland’s favorite high school memories are of Boy Scout Camp, skiing at Greenbelt Lake, and Math and Science trips to San Antonio. 

Lisle plans to attend West Texas A&M and pursue a career in Nutritional Science.

The High Ranking Boy for the Class of 2003 is Kevin Green.  Kevin is the son of Alex and Penny McAnear.  Kevin plans on attending Amarillo College and majoring in pre-pharmacy.  His GPA is 96.56.

Kevin’ activities at CHS include two years of football, one year of basketball, one year of tennis, one year of baseball, and one year of golf.  Kevin has been named to the Academic All District Team.  He has also been a member of the student council, Gifted & Talented, UIL Accounting, UIL Calculator, UIL Science, the Bronco Band, the Spanish Club, the Future Farmers of America, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Kevin has also been a very active volunteer in his community.  He has served as a cafeteria volunteer, helped in food drives, aided in the rodeo clean up, and has been an assistant T-ball coach.

Kevin’s awards include All-Region Band, Pantex Outstanding Math Student, CHS Top Business Student, CHS Top Chemistry Student, and CHS Top Spanish Student.

Kevin is a member of the First United Methodist Church and its youth group.