Air Academy senior to march in Macy’s parade

Jamie Cazier, a senior at Air Academy High School and flute section leader in the marching band, has been selected to march in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band in the 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in November. The band is comprised of high schoolers that audition from across the country and is highly competitive. She auditioned in February.

Cazier will be representing her school and the State of Colorado.

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Education updates

• Katelyn Allton has been named to the Bethel University Dean’s List for academic excellence for the spring 2022 semester. She is the daughter of Craig and Starry Allton of Monument. The university is in St. Paul, Minn.
• Dawson Carper, of Colorado Springs (80908), graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Political Science, May 20 from Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo.
• Cora Ferguson, of Colorado Springs, was named to St. Lawrence University’s Dean’s List for the Spring 2022 semester. The university is in Canton, N.Y.
• Jay Lee of Northbrook, Ill., whose family lives in Colorado Springs, graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Ind., May 1. Lee majored in Anthropology.
• The following Tri-Lakes area students were named to the University of Maryland Global Campus students Dean’s List for the spring semester: Lillian Bacon, of Colorado Springs; Calvin Freeman, of Colorado Springs; Mauricio Cristobal Garcia, of Colorado Springs; Nicholas S. Hassay, of Colorado Springs; Joshlyn Jamerson, of Colorado Springs; Jeffrey Rykhus, of Colorado Springs; Olga G. Wells, of Colorado Springs; and Sabra Williams-Jones, of Monument.
• The following area students were named to the University of Northern Colorado Spring Dean’s List of Academic Distinction: Emily Allen, of Monument; Anders Arneson, of Monument; Clare Chaddon, of Colorado Springs; Elizabeth DeMuth, of Monument; Melody Fike, of Monument; Jenaya Geertsema, of Colorado Springs; Ak Ghiya, of Colorado Springs; Conner Graves, of Monument; Bryce Hafer, of Colorado Springs; Annika Hinkle, of Colorado Springs; Jackson Hurford-Reynolds, of Monument; Kathryn Johnson, of Monument; Jamie Kooser, of Colorado Springs; Katie Kuss, of Monument; Chlo Love, of Colorado Springs; Kelly Lundberg, of Colorado Springs; Rebecca Miller, of Monument; Alexa Oatman, of Colorado Springs; Sara Oliver, of Monument; Claire Prestgard, of Colorado Springs; Layla Pruitt, of Monument; Jenna Richards, of Colorado Springs; Bobby Swift, of Larkspur; Caroline Walsh, of Colorado Springs; Kalyn West, of Colorado Springs; Anna Yepez, of Colorado Springs; and Megan Ytzen, of Colorado Springs. The university is in Greeley.

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League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region announce GenZVote! youth video contest

COLORADO SPRINGS • The League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region has announced the GenZVote! video contest for youth. The topic of the contest is “Why should Gen Z vote?” The contest is open to

individuals 16-23 years old living in El Paso or Teller counties. Submissions must be 30-60 seconds long and will be accepted Sept. 1-19. Winners will be announced by Oct. 3. Top winners can win $1,000.

“GenZ is diverse and highly educated. They are proving to be socially responsible and understand actions speak louder than words,” says contest organizer Peg Henjum. “Their aspirations transcend partisan outcomes and generate hope for the future of our democratic experiment. We need the GenZ generation, as digital natives, to step up, use their voices and lead!”

Young voters make up a third of eligible voters in our nation, yet the voter turnout rate for this group is shockingly low. The project aligns with the mission of the League of Women Voters, “Defend Democracy. Empower Voters.”

For more information and to register, visit LWVPPR.org.

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10 new CASA volunteers sworn in as officers of the court

COLORADO SPRINGS • Ten new Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA volunteers, were sworn in as officers of the court by Fourth Judicial Judge Dennis McGuire during a swearing-in ceremony at the El Paso County Courthouse July 25.

They are: Ashley Davila, Dirk DeWolfe, Lynne Doran, Briana Lindsey, Paul Melcher, Cosme Morales, Teri Ponsot, Alexandra Ridgeway, Megan Sandefur and Nicole Williams.

After completing 30 hours of training and being sworn in by a judge, these volunteers are now ready to advocate in court and in the community for the best interest of the child (or sibling group) they are assigned to. Kids who benefit from a CASA volunteer are involved with the family court system and child welfare system through no fault of their own, but because they have been abused or neglected.

In a typical 12-month period, there are 800 kids in the Pikes Peak Region who need a CASA volunteer. Over the past 12 months, CASA was able to provide an advocate for 625 of these kids.

CASA seeks more volunteers in order to close that gap and provide a volunteer to every child in need. Anyone interested in learning more is invited to attend an upcoming volunteer information session on Aug. 3, Aug. 24, or Sept. 7. To RSVP to one of these one-hour sessions, visit casappr.org/volunteer.

CASA of the Pikes Peak Region is a 501©(3) charitable organization founded in 1989 as a local program of the National CASA Association. Serving El Paso and Teller counties, the organization’s core mission is to recruit, train, and support citizen volunteers in its Dependency & Neglect program to provide a voice and advocate for victims of child abuse and neglect.