Class acts

Published 8:19 pm Sunday, March 7, 2010

• Taylor Goddard, daughter of Tommy and Anita Goddard of Cohutta; Rachel Massingale, daughter of Willis and Pam Massingale of Rocky Face; and Hannah Wilkins, daughter of Grady and Cathy Wilkins of Dalton, were named to the dean’s list at Lee University for the fall 2009 semester. Students with a semester grade point average of 3.7 or higher are named to the list.

Staci Knight, daughter of Durwood and Carol Knight of Cohutta; Emily Rush, daughter of Leslie and Robin Rush of Cohutta; and Erin Weeks, daughter of Alan and Anna Weeks of Cohutta, were named to the dean’s list with honors at Lee University for the fall 2009 semester. Emily Rush is the granddaughter of Anna Buckner of Oldfort, Tenn. and the late Claude Buckner and the late E.W. and Olene Rush of Oldfort, Tenn. Students with a grade point average of 3.9 or higher are named to the list.

• Caitlynn Fortner, daughter of Michael and Kay Fortner of Dalton, has earned a Gold A Honors Award at the Culver Academies. Attained with a grade point average of at least 4.0, the award is the highest academic honor available during combined grading terms. Fortner, who is in the ninth grade, also lettered in speech and is on the volleyball team and crew team. The school is in Indiana.

• Pranav Singh of Dalton is one of six McCallie School seniors recognized last week as National Merit Finalists. He is the son of Dr. Rajiv and Dr. Monica Singh of Jasper. National Merit Finalists are eligible for — and approximately half will receive — National Merit scholarships, which will be announced in April, May and July. More than 1.5 million students entered the 2010 National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The finalists represent less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors and are the highest scoring entrants in the nation on the qualifying test. Joining Pranav as one of McCallie’s six National Merit Finalists is Justin Simerly of Dalton.

• Mississippi College senior Jessica Tatum, a social work major from Dalton, is the recipient of a $500 scholarship from the Mississippi Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care. Tatum was recently awarded the scholarship based on her academic performance, community involvement and future aspirations. The lone applicant from Mississippi College, Tatum competed for the award with students from other in-state schools, such as the University of Southern Mississippi.