Dateline: May 20, 2004

Leeper, Aaron top students at CHS

Clarendon High School has announced Tim Leeper and Matthew Aaron as its top students for the Class of 2004.

The valedictorian with a grade average of 97.64 is Tim Leeper, son of Bryan and Debbie Leeper.

Leeper has been very involved in extracurricular activities at CHS.  He has played basketball for four years, baseball for one year, and golf for four years.  He is also a member of the Clarendon Bronco Band, which received sweepstakes awards all four years and advanced to the Regional Marching Contest two years. He has also been a member of the student government for two years and served as the Student Council President his senior year. 

Leeper has also been very involved academically.  He was inducted into the National Honor Society and was awarded the Outstanding Chemist Award from the National Chemistry Society.  He has been a member of the Clarendon High School Gifted and Talented program for four years and participated in the National Rocketry Competition. 

Leeper was a member of the Pantex Science Bowl Competition for two years, where he served as captain.  He also participated in UIL Math, Computer Applications, Science, and One Act Play, which advanced to regional competition his junior year and area competition this year. 

Tim plans on attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where he intends to major in Space Physics.

Clarendon’s salutatorian this year is Matthew Aaron, who is the son of Johnny and Anita Aaron, and has an average of 96.44.

 Aaron has been very active both inside and outside of school.  He has participated in the high school band all four years. In addition, he has been involved in basketball, track, and cross country.  He has participated in UIL academics in events such as Persuasive Speaking, Science, Computer Science, and Literary Criticism.  He advanced to regional competition in Literary Criticism. 

Aaron was a member of the UIL One Act Play, where he was named to the all-star cast.  He also was in the cast of “Annie Get Your Gun”, the Clarendon High School fall production. He has received the American Achievement Academy Award in English and Science and has been named to Who’s Who Among American High School Students.  He has also been inducted into the National Honor Society and is a member of the Spanish Club.

Aaron’s activities outside of school include membership in the First United Methodist Church Youth Praise and Worship band as a guitarist, and he has received numerous awards in the martial arts, including a 2nd degree black belt in Karate. 

Matt plans on attending Texas Tech University in the fall, where he will be a member of the Tech Honors College and the Texas Tech Air Force ROTC.

Leeper and Aaron will be recognized during CHS commencement exercises Friday, May 28, at 8 p.m. in the Harned Sisters Fine Arts Auditorium.