438 high school seniors across Iowa will be honored Sunday, April 28, 2013, at the Eleventh Annual Governor’s Scholar Recognition Ceremony, held at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines starting at 1:00 p.m.

The Governor’s Office, the Iowa High School Athletic Association, and its title sponsor, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, are presenting this recognition program.

The Honorable Governor Terry Branstad and Honorable Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds will host the event and address the audience of 2,500-plus. Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill, Brett Nanninga, Superintendent at Tri-Center Community Schools, and chairperson of the Board of Control of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, and Tania Johnson, 2013 Iowa Teacher of the Year from Cedar Rapids, will welcome the students and their guests.

The seniors being honored were selected by their high schools as the highest academic achievers. Each student will receive a photo plaque of themselves with Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds and a certificate to commemorate their achievement. Each student’s most influential teacher will also receive a certificate of appreciation.  A reception for the students, their parents, their most influential teachers, and other guests will follow the ceremony.

In addition to being recognized as the state’s brightest students, over 99 percent of the group participates in school activities, with approximately 80 percent participating in at least one interscholastic sport. More than 60 percent plan to pursue their post-secondary education in Iowa.

Among the local honorees:  Elizabeth Mulder of Adair-Casey, Kaelly Welsh of A-H-S-T, Scott Caslow of Atlantic, Marissa Haubrich of Audubon, Trevor McKee of CAM, Brendan McAllister of Coon Rapids-Bayard, Andrea Beck of Corning, Jacob Hartvigsen of Exira/EHK, Haley Scmidt of Griswold, Therese Frels of Guthrie Center, Adam Zaccone of Harlan, Jakob Croghan of IKM/Manning, Emily Dickinson of Logan-Magnolia, Hannah West of Missouri Valley, Julie Bricker of Nodaway Valley, Morgan James of Orient-Macksburg, Brenna Hafner of Panorama, Geoffrey Sellers of Red Oak, Rachel Faga of Riverside, Kara Allen of Stanton, Ryan Hempel of Treynor, Charles Peters of Tri-Center, Madicen Fanslau of Underwood, Jill Vanderhoof of Villisca, Lauren Sievers of Walnut and Alyssa Blum of Woodbine.

Click this link to view the entire list: Governor’s Scholar Award Winners