Clarendon names top students

Clarendon High School has announced its 2012 Valedictorian and Salutatorian are Kayla Elam and Jordan Luna.

This year’s Valedictorian is Kayla Elam with a GPA of 96.7. Kayla is the daughter of Clifford and Mary Ann Johnson and the granddaughter of C. A. and Belinda Goins.

Kayla has received many academic awards while at CHS. She has received Honor C’s in IPC, chemistry, Biology, Physics, Geometry, Algebra I, French I and French II. She is also a member of the local chapter of the National Honor Society. Kayla has been a member of the A Honor Roll for the last three years and has been nominated for the United States Achievement Academy Award all four years in high school. Kayla is also the winner of the District Voice of Democracy Contest.

Kayla has also been very involved in academic contests. In 2010 Kayla placed 2nd individual in District Science and 1st in Chemistry while helping her team to a District 1st place team. In 2011 she was 1st place individual in science, a member of the 1st place district science team, was 4th place regional individual and a member of the state qualifying science team. This year Kayla placed 1st in biology and 2nd overall. She was also a member of a science team that qualified for regional. Kayla has also been successful in journalism placing 4th in district in 2011 and 2nd this year.

Kayla has volunteered at the Donley County Senior Citizens Center and managed fundraisers to benefit the Senior Citizens. She also helped deliver meals-on-wheels and wrote articles to raise awareness for Senior Citizen needs. She helped raise over $1,000.

Kayla’s hobbies include UIL science, writing poetry, reading, studying, shopping, hanging out with friends, cosmetology, and spending time with her family.

He has been involved in serving his community through highway cleanup and volunteer work at the Saint’s Roost Museum, Clarendon nursing home and the Donley County Senior Citizens Center.

Kayla plans on attending Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma where she will begin her studies to become a pharmacist.

This year’s Salutatorian is Jordan Luna, son of Terri Luna. Jordan has a GPA of 95.3.

Jordan has been the recipient of many awards and honors. He has qualified for regional competition in Social Studies as both a team member and an individual. He qualified in Number Sense as an individual for three years and this year helped take the team to regional competition and state competition this year. He is a member of the local chapter of the National Honor Society and serves as its president this year. He has served in the CHS Student Council for all four years and is the Council president this year. His classmates have also elected him freshman and sophomore vice-president and junior class treasurer. Jordan is also a member of the local chapter of the Junior Historians. He also boasts being a member of four straight Bronco football playoff teams.

Jordan has also given back to his community through highway cleanup, canned food and coat drives at CHS, Teens in the Driver Seat safety checks, tutoring, and working with at the First Baptist Church as a volunteer.

Jordan’s hobbies include singing, reading, and hanging with friends. He likes to write music and make songs with friends. He likes swimming, sleeping, watching movies, being awesome and being totally weird. And if that’s not enough hobbies, he also likes basketball, football, baseball, golf, bowling, riding his bike, and playing board games. I know his friends won’t believe this last one but he also likes to talk.

Jordan plans on attending Texas A&M University at College Station this fall and begin his studies in mathematics.