Academy cadets named Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Two cadets from the Air Force Academy Class of 2022 and one graduate from the Class of 2019 were named Knight-Hennessy Scholars and will receive a fellowship for up to three years of study at Stanford University.

Cadets First Class Francesca Verville and Justin Yates, both of the Class of 2022, will be pursuing master’s degrees in international policy. After grad school, Francesca and Justin will both go on to Air Force pilot training.

Through her career as a pilot and officer, Verville aspires to increase international collaboration through data-driven and strategic leadership.

Yates wants to combine his knowledge of engineering with his advanced studies to inform U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific region and identify the effects of emerging technologies on international security.

Additionally, Class of 2019 Alumni Sam Potter will be pursuing a Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree at Stanford Law School. She earned a master’s in international relations from the University of Oxford as a Holaday Scholar. Currently, Potter is an acquisition officer and plans to continue her service as a judge advocate where she hopes to influence space policy and law in the United States Air Force and United States Space Force.

Scholars participate in the King Global Leadership Program, which includes workshops, lectures,projects, and experiences that strengthen transformational leadership capabilities.

Education updates

• Justin Anderson, a senior pursuing a bachelors degree in Sport Management from Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C., was hired before graduation as a physicial education teacher at Liberty Tree Academy in Falcon, Colo. Anderson is a resident of Colorado Springs
• Sophia Bains, of Colorado Monument (80132), was named to the springs 2022 Dean’s List at Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tenn.
• Ainsley Coil, of Colorado Springs, was named to the Spring 2022 Dean’s List at Berry College in Rome, Ga.
• Katie Doiron, of Monument, has been named to the 2022 spring semester Dean’s List at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.
• Daniella Ferrante, of Monument, was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Ferrante was initiated at Purdue University.
• Madison Rutherford, of Colorado Springs, who majored in Environmental Engineering, received a bachelor’s degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute May 14. WPI is in Worcester, Mass.
• Sawyer Anne Smith, of Colorado Springs, is among 14 graduating seniors who have earned awards from the University Honors Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Smith, a mathematics major, won the Outstanding Honors Graduate: College of Arts and Sciences. She earned a Bachelor of Science with distinction.
• The following Tri-Lakes area students also graduated from University of Nebraska-Lincoln this month: Daryn Ashley Capps, of Colorado Springs, College of Arts and Sciences, Bachelor of Science; Sarah Margaret Carroll, of Colorado Springs, College of Arts and Sciences, Bachelor of Science with distinction; Sadio Phillipe Fenner, of Colorado Springs, College of Education and Human Sciences, Bachelor of Science in Education and Human Sciences; Kayla LaPoure, of Colorado Springs, Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts with high distinction.
• Kathryn Elizabeth Leachman, of Larkspur, College of Business Bachelor of Science in Business Administration; Alicia Pannell, of Colorado Springs, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science; and Ashlyn Elizabeth Wilmot, of Colorado Springs, College of Arts and Scienes, Bachelor of Arts.
• The following area students graduated from Hastings College in Hastings, Neb., May 14: Drake Fortner, of Colorado Springs, Psychology; and Alianna Higgins, of Colorado Springs, Cum Laude with Distinction in Biochemistry.
• The following area students graduated from University of Mississippi this month: Paige Anderson, of Colorado Springs, majored in Higher Education/Student Personnel and earned a Master of Arts from the Graduate School; and Jillian McGann, of Monument, majored in Journalism and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the School of Journalism and New Media.
• The following students were named to the Winter 2022 President’s List at Southern New Hampshire University: Ann Bingham, of Colorado Springs (80921); Megan Dooley, of Monument (80132); Ashley Montgomery, of Monument (80132); Sarah Swiatek, of Colorado Springs (80908); and Jonathan Thomas, of Colorado Springs (80921). The university offers courses online and at its Manchester, N.H. campus.

AARP seeks nominees for 2022 community service award

AARP is now accepting nominations for its 2022 Colorado Andrus Award for Community Service, honoring Coloradans aged 50 and older who are sharing their experience, talent and skills to enrich the lives of their community members.

“AARP Colorado is excited to shine a light on those in our state who are using what they’ve learned in life to make a difference in the lives around them,” AARP Colorado State Director Bob Murphy said.

Nominations will be evaluated by AARP Colorado based on how the volunteer’s work has improved the community, reflected AARP’s vision and mission, and inspired other volunteers. The award recipient will be announced in early fall.

• AARP Colorado Andrus Award for Community Service nominees must meet the following eligibility requirements:
• Nominee must be 50 years or older.
• The achievements, accomplishments or service on which the nomination is based must have been performed on a volunteer basis, without pay. Volunteers receiving small stipends to cover the costs associated with the volunteer activity are eligible.
• The achievements, accomplishments or service on which the nomination is based must reflect AARP’s vision and purpose.
• The achievements, accomplishments or service on which the nomination is based must be replicable and provide inspiration for others to volunteer.
• Partisan political achievements, accomplishments or service may not be considered.
• Couples or partners who perform service together are also eligible; however, teams are not eligible.
• Previous Andrus Award recipients are not eligible.
• Volunteers serving on the Andrus Award selection committee are not eligible.
• AARP staff members are not eligible.
• This is not a posthumous award.

Contact Jeremiah Mora at jmora@aarp.org for more information and a nomination form. The application deadline is July 15.

The AARP Andrus Award for Community Service is an annual awards program developed to honor individuals whose service is a unique and valuable contribution to society. Last year, AARP recognized 49 outstanding individuals and couples from around the country.