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Career choices eclectic for Charlo grads

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CHARLO — Although most of Charlo’s close-knit graduates have been in school together since first grade, their career choices vary as they head into the future.

Berit DeGrandpre will study economics and government with a minor in foreign policy on a 50-percent tuition scholarship at Dartmouth University. She’ll also be playing on their rugby team.

“It’s like the best sport ever invented,” she said, likening the contact sport to football, but without the pads. “You go all out, all the time.”

An Arlee friend encouraged Berit to join the Missoula-based Iron Vixens club team, so she drives there three times a week to practice. She’ll soon meet her future coach at an upcoming all-star game in Oregon.

DeGrandpre’s dad, Dave, a small business owner, peaked her interest in economics and a trip to the Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire motivated her to learn about foreign policy.

Dressed in white Vans, colorful socks and zany-printed sneakers atop his mortarboard, Dugan Runkel said he’s headed to the Art Institute of Seattle to study industrial design. While in high school he built a skateboard, experimenting with the use of carbon fiber and different materials to see how strong he could make it.

Friends Kathleen Cox and Ashley Mock will each bring a horse with them to college. The future roommates will study natural horsemanship and business at the University of Montana Western in Dillon. Mock paraded her painted horse in Ronan’s St. Patricks Day Parade in March, and Cox loves horses so much she built a corral with two horses on her mortarboard, adding Winston Churchill’s quote, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”

A guest speaker at an Academic Bowl sparked Alyssa Liddle’s interest in world issues, and a resulting trip to Thailand with the Department of State solidified her decision to study international relations with a minor in political science or history at Carroll College.

But what she’s learned during her past 12 school years is to look past a classmate’s disabilities and treat him the same as everybody else. She’s been in school with Dominic Shively, a student with cerebral palsy, since the first grade, she said.

So has paraprofessional David Peck.

“They’ve really accepted him and made him part of the group,” Peck said. Dominic was crowned homecoming king in the fall and prom king in the spring.

Peck has been Dominic’s paraprofessional since the family moved to Charlo when Dominic was in first grade.

“We’ve been together a long time,” Peck said. “We’ve gotten pretty close.”

Peck said he’s learned patience from Dominic. Now 67, Peck is retiring to stay home and farm.

At Sunday’s graduation, guest speaker and Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Shad Andersen gave a dozen tips to the graduates, including: Don’t drink and drive and always wear your seatbelt. Give back to the community and do it because you want to help not expecting anything in return. Stop talking so much. 

“You can’t learn if you don’t take time to listen,” he said.

Before the Class of 2016 received their diplomas, an all-girl quintet sang lyrics that seemed to echo the sentiment of the 25 graduates: “Because I knew you, I have been changed for the better.”

2016 Charlo Graduates and Scholarships

Andersen, Jaycee

Parents: Shad and Tricia Andersen

Westland Seed

A.M.T. Scholarship

Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative Scholarship 

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Montana State University Premier Scholarship

Dearborn Ranch-Montana Highway Patrol Scholarship

Montana University System Honor Scholarship

GEAR UP Pathways Scholarship

Cox, Kathleen

Parents: Tate and Neoma Cox

Coulter Automotive

Mission Valley Power Award

George and Faye Harris Charitable Foundation Scholarship

Charlo Perpetual Scholarship

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

GEAR UP Pathways Scholarship

DeGrandpre, Berit

Parents: Dave and Liberty DeGrandpre

Valley Bank

Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative Scholarship

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Dartmouth College Scholarship

Delaney, Michael

Parents: Stan and Sheri Delaney

Rod’s Harvest Foods

Phyllis Stivers Memorial Scholarship

Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative Scholarship

Charlyn M. Rogers Memorial Scholarship

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Montana Tech Performance Based Scholarship

Montana Tech Athletic Football Scholarship

Marcus Daly Silver Tuition Waiver Scholarship

Clayton E. DeVoe Scholarship 

GEAR UP Pathways Scholarship

Dotson, Caleb

Parents: Marcie McCrea; Darren Dotson

Doty, Brooke

Parents: Kenny Doty; Amber Krahn

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

University of Montana Resident Scholarship

Frame, Skyler

Parents: Boyd and Shelly Frame

Daughters of American Revolution Good Citizen Scholarship

Jones, Megan

Parents: Edwin Jones

University of Montana Resident Scholarship

Salish Kootenai College Scholarship

Kirsch, Kyla

Parents: Kevin Kirsch; Krista Kirsch

Ronan Les Schwab

Montana State University Premier Scholarship

Kelsey Rollins-Hanson Memorial Scholarship

James O. Atkinson Memorial Scholarship

Charlo Perpetual Scholarship 

Charlyn M. Rogers Memorial Scholarship 

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Liddle, Alyssa

Parents: Tammy Young; Richard Liddle

Ronan Harvest Foods

Lake County 4-H Scholarship

Montana 4-H Foundation Scholarship

Youth Serve Montana Scholarship

Carroll College Opportunity Grant

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Carroll College Community Living Grant

Carroll College Borromeo Guild Grant

Murray Sterling Brooke Memorial Scholarship

Carroll College Halo Scholarship

Carroll College Presidential Scholarship

 

Mock, Ashley

Parents: Frank and Angela Mock 

Ronan Eye Clinic

Lake County 4-H Scholarship

P.E.O. Scholarship

Grace Ritzman Scholarship

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Montgomery, Gregory

Parents: Hoss and Stephanie Smith

Nitschke, Kristin

Parents: Brian and Diane Nitschke

Stuart’s NAPA Auto Care

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

GEAR UP Pathways Scholarship

Roquet, Lane

Parents: Greg and Joni Roquet

Zenith American Dream Scholarship

Roylance, Mikaylan

Parents: Amanda Gertds; Adrian Roylance

Don Aadsen Ford

Mission Valley Power Award

Rocky Mountain Twist/Jore Corporation Scholarship

St. Luke Community Healthcare Scholarship

Charlo Perpetual Scholarship

FUPS Basketball Brawl Scholarship

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Rob Roylance Memorial Scholarship

Montana State University Premier Scholarship

Tracy Foundation Scholarship

Clayton E. DeVoe Scholarship

Governor’s Best and Brightest Scholarship

Runkel, Dugan

Parents: John and Samantha Runkel

Ronan Auto Parts

Ninepipe Arts Group Scholarship

Charlo Perpetual Scholarship

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

GEAR UP Pathways Scholarship

Art Institute of Seattle Portfolio Scholarship

Savage, Madison

Parents: Scott and Kasey Savage

U of M Montana Academic Achievement Scholarship 

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Schippers, Hailey

Parents: John Schippers; Ms. Brenda

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Boise State University Western Undergraduate Exchange Award

GEAR UP Pathways Scholarship

Shively, Dominic

Parents: Fred and Tracy Dalke

Smith, Bridger

Parents: Steve and Jeriann Smith

Charlo Grocery

Poke the Bear with Brett Scholarship

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Smith, Jade

Parents: Shawn and Sarah Smith

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Montana Tech Chancellor Scholarship

Stevens, Tristan

Parents: Jay and Rhonda Stevens

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

GEAR UP Pathways Scholarship

Stipe, Stetson

Parents: Marvin Stipe; Lisa Douma

Poke the Bear with Brett Scholarship

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Wyo Tech Zenith American Dream Scholarship

Timms, McKensie

Parents: James A. Timms; Kaye Zellers

Charlo Lions Club Scholarship

Shamrock Services LLC

Rocky Mountain Twist/Jore Corporation Scholarship

University of Montana Resident Scholarship

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Montana Rail Link Scholarship

GEAR UP Pathways Scholarship

Tryon, Ashley

Parents: Paul and Amie Tryon

GEAR UP Achievement Grant 

Montana State University Premier Scholarship

GEAR UP Pathways Scholarship 

 

 

 

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