Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

DOWAGIAC — Dowagiac Union High School was host to a celebration Wednesday evening.

High school seniors were honored for their academic achievements and presented with more than $678,950 in scholarships during the school’s Class of 2024 Honors Ceremony Wednesday in the high school gymnasium. 

More than 40 Chieftains were recognized for their success in the classroom in the form of certificates, plaques, stoles and scholarships – which varied from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars each.

Awards included:

Valedictorian: Abbey Dobberstein

Salutatorian: Hazel Kelly

High Honor graduates: Alivia Ausra, Andrew Bryant, Hayley Jones, Hazel Kelly, Michael Burks, Thomas Pierce, Elizabeth Burns, Jenna Pressley, Aubrey Busby, Travis Rehborg, Abbey Dobberstein, Blake Sheffer, Talan Gilliam, Brooklyn Smith, Faith Green, Dane Spagnoli, Natasha Griggs, Luke Spagnoli, Isiah Hill, Jayden Vandenberg, Ty’lisia Horton-Epps, Maggie Weller, Jamie Howard

Honor graduates: Alexandra Gasca, Brenden Hart, Chlorissa Hemenway, Ximena Hernandez, Jayla Weatherspoon, Jorge Meza, Abbigail Scott, Skylar Solomon, Maxwell Stelmasiak

Academic Awards of Excellence – Four Years: Michael Burks, Elizabeth Burns, Aubrey Busby, Abbey Dobberstein, Hazel Kelly, Brooklyn Smith, Dane Spagnoli, Luke Spagnoli, Maggie Weller

Early Middle College Participants: Ximena Hernandez, Hayley Jones, Jorge Meza, Skylar Solomon

SMC Educational Talent Search: Hunter Ausra, Arturo Benitez, Damia Brooks, Braylon Brown, Madisson Clark, Dayton Costello, Ashante’ Garcia, Ximena Hernandez, Donovan Hill, Michelle Hoekstra, Theodore Hoekstra, Ty’Lisia Horton-Epps, Jamie Howard, Chloe Hysell, Jada Jackson, Hayley Jones, Hazel Kelly, Atena Mancera, Jorge Meza, Isiah Mourning, Anthony Munson, Kamden Nelson, Gabriella Neumann, Angelina Ochoa, Thomas Pierce, Abbigail Scott, Skylar Solomon, Lucas Szymczak, Jayden Vandenberg, Jayla Weatherspoon, Izabella Villanueva-Soto, Maggie Weller

Scholarships

Dowagiac Elks Club Scholarship: Brooklyn Smith, Aubrey Busby, Hazel Kelly

Dowagiac Elks Club Trade Scholarship: Jenna Pressley

Dowagiac Rotary Club Scholarship: Jorge Meza

Carson Ausra Memorial Scholarships: Dane Spagnoli, Luke Spagnoli

Beta Sigma Phi Theta Mu Scholarship: Maggie Weller

Beta Sigma Phi ECC Scholarship: Faith Green

Jim and Mary Alice Giles Scholarships: Natasha Griggs, Brooklyn Smith

Heather Nash Memorial Scholarships: Jorge Meza

MI Life in Numbers Scholarship, Maggie Cripe Memorial Scholarship: Madison Kurzhal

Ronald Latourette Memorial Scholarship: Faith Green

Miss Dowagiac Scholarship: Miss Dowagiac – Natasha Griggs; First Runner up – Abbey Dobberstein; Second Runner up – Jamie Howard; Miss Congeniality – Hayley Jones; Communications Scholarship – Jones; Community Service Scholarship – Griggs

Dowagiac Athletic Booster Club Scholarships: Abbey Dobberstein, Isiah Hill, Dane Spagnoli, Luke Spagnoli, Maggie Weller

The Dick Dorgan Memorial Scholarship: Hazel Kelly

The Chieftain Golf Outing Scholarships: Presented by Mrs. Nicky Hulett and Mr. Tom Carlson, Michael Burks, Aubrey Busby, Abbey Dobberstein, Faith Green, Natasha Griggs, Isiah Hill, Hazel Kelly, Dane Spagnoli, Luke Spagnoli, Brooklyn Smith, Maggie Weller

Athletic Boosters, In Memory of Ronda Sullivan Scholarships: Faith Green, Isiah Hill

Athletic Boosters, In Memory of Jeff Johnson Scholarship: Maggie Weller

Ronda L. Lucas Sullivan Legacy Foundation Scholarships: Isiah Hill, Jenna Pressley

Landen Taggart “Dreamers” Scholarships: Damia Brooks, Angelina Ochoa

Niles Haunted House Scholarship: Natasha Griggs

Dowagiac Connected Scholarship: Brooklyn Smith

L.A.D.D. Inc. Scholarships: Alivia Ausra, Natasha Griggs

Daughters of American Revolution: Hazel Kelly

Brian Parker Memorial Scholarship: Brooklyn Smith

Sodexo Services Scholarships: Andrew Bryant, Abbey Dobberstein, Hazel Kelly, Maggie Weller

Ascension Borgess-Lee, Maggie Cripe Memorial Healthcare Scholarship: Brooklyn Smith

Peninsular Lodge No. 10 F. & A.M. Scholarship: Jorge Meza

Burger King Scholarship: Hazel Kelly

Dowagiac Lions Club Scholarship: Faith Green

Dowagiac Lions Club “Craig Behnke” Scholarship: Brooklyn Smith

Midwest Energy Communications Scholarship: Abbey Dobberstein

Kameron Belew Memorial Scholarships: Damia Brooks, Mason Maggert, Maxwell Stelmasiak, Maggie Weller

SET/SEG Insurance Scholarship: Luke Spagnoli

Amersdorfer Memorial Scholarship: Maxwell Stelmasiak

Individual College Scholarship Awards

Southwestern Michigan College Roadrunner Scholarship: Hunter Ausra, Alexandra Gasca, Chlorissa Hemenway, Jess Pinkowski, Maxwell Stelmasiak, Jayla Weatherspoon

Southwestern Michigan College Award of Excellence: Alivia Ausra, Thomas Pierce, Jayden Vandenberg

Southwestern Michigan College Award of Distinction Scholarship: Michael Burks, Jamie Howard, Maggie Weller

Lincoln Tech “High Test” Scholarship: Dayton Costello

Kalamazoo Valley Community College “Merit” Scholarship: Aubrey Busby

University of Michigan’s University Regent Scholarship: Abbey Dobberstein

Ferris State University’s Provost’s, Merit, Achievement, Next and Bull Dog Achievement Scholarship: Dane Spagnoli, Luke Spagnoli

Michigan State University’s Spartan Scholarship: Jaserra Horton

Gannon University’s Gannon Knight Achievement Scholarship: Faith Green

University of Notre Dame’s Provost’s and University Scholarship: Hazel Kelly