STUDENTS OF THE WEEK

2024

Junior Lopez Tema, son of Josue Lopez Palacios, Hilda Strehle and Andrew Strehle, is an 8th-grade student at Park Middle School.

Why was this student nominated? Junior is a native Spanish speaker from Guatemala. He has made amazing progress in learning English and works hard to maintain good grades in all his classes. He is friendly and outgoing to teachers and students.

Athletics and activities: At Park, he participates in soccer, basketball, and track. He also plays trumpet in the band. Outside of school, he is involved in his church.

Max Kumke, son of Todd and Jenny Kumke, is a 7th-grade student at North American Martyrs School.

Awards & Recognition: Student Council, Honor Roll, 3rd place in Science Fair.

Why was this student nominated? Max serves as an excellent example to classmates. He is hard-working, follows directions, participates in class, and frequently volunteers to help.

Civic & volunteer involvement: Tutoring, volunteer at Food Bank.

Athletic accomplishments: Participated in basketball.

Religious activities: Mass server, Stations.

Hobbies: Basketball.

Thatcher Plugge, son of Amanda and Brian Plugge, is an 8th-grade student at Pound Middle School.

Why was the student nominated?: Thatcher is an excellent scholar and is kind to his peers. He works very hard to please adults and fellow students. He is always respectful, very humble, and is a joy to have in class.

Civic and Volunteer Involvement: Thatcher is on the Pound Student Council, serving as vice president. He enjoys a good leadership opportunity. Every Thursday he wears a Hawaiian shirt, to match his laid-back attitude and celebration that the weekend is almost here.

Athletic Accomplishments: Thatcher really enjoys playing tennis, just for FUN! He has recently picked up pickleball with his brother.

Outside Achievements: Thatcher plays the double-string bass. He has been a member of YES and JYO, select orchestras in Lincoln. He also plays in the Pound Select Jazz Band, earning top scores and placing in state competitions.

Hobbies and Outside Interests: Thatcher enjoys spending his free time with family and friends. He enjoys online video games with friends in other states. Dungeons and Dragons is a favorite, spending hours eating and socializing with his friends. Since early childhood, Thatcher has enjoyed LEGOS. He still enjoys building and creating; he has now started to enjoy the art of sorting and organizing his Lego collection.

Other Comments: Thatcher is a really neat kiddo, and we could not be prouder of him.

Eli Siebert, son of Tina Siebert, is an 8th-grade student at St. Patrick School.

Why was this student nominated? He does a lot of really great things in the classroom and out. He is responsible and takes care of his tasks without reminders. He is willing to put himself out there and try new things. He relates well with his classmates and gets along with everyone. He participates in classes and is a lot of fun to teach.

Awards & Recognition: Achieved honor roll status, received several ROCK award nominations from school for going above and beyond expectations, nominated and attended NHRI Leadership Institute.

Civic and Volunteer Involvement: Volunteers for annual St. Patrick Festival; frequently attends cancer awareness fundraisers.

Athletic Accomplishments: Member of school bowling team and achieved a tie for first place among Lincoln schools; plays flag football.

Religious Activities: Altar server and lector at school Masses.

Hobbies and Other Interests: Has played piano since second grade; enjoys family activities with cousins; playing video games with friends and being outdoors.

Additional Information: Always willing to help out his mom around the house and get involved in projects with his grandpa.

Yara Nassrat, daughter of Marwa Al-Naimi and Farid Nassrat, is an 8th-grade student at Park Middle School.

Why was this student nominated? Yara Nassrat is a great role model for her peers at Park Middle School. She shows kindness and respect and she greets all of her friends and teachers with a warm smile. Yara exhibits a growth mindset whenever she encounters challenging problems and she never gives up. Yara is a strong member of the Park community. She is involved with AVID and enjoys the field trips where she can go to elementary schools to mentor younger students. Next year, she is excited to join a high school soccer team. The teachers and staff at Park are proud of who Yara is as a person and the choices she makes in and out of the classroom.

Jessa Hamilton, daughter of Natasha Kraus and Joe Hamilton, is an 8th-grade student at St. Patrick Catholic School.

Why was this student nominated? Jessa was nominated because she is a talented individual with a generous heart. She is a responsible student and a good example of what it looks like to use time wisely. She knows classroom routines well and helps keep them in place. She completes schoolwork efficiently and submits thoughtful, quality work. She is an analytical thinker, and often notices things that others may miss. Jessa enjoys interacting with younger students and often volunteers to help them.

Awards & Recognition: 1^st place in 7^th-grade science fair.

Civic and Volunteer Involvement: Has volunteered at Lincoln Children’s Zoo and Emerald Nursing and Rehab Lancaster.

Athletic Accomplishments: Is a member of the St. Patrick School volleyball and track teams.

Religious Activities: Reads the Bible frequently.

Outside Achievements: Keeps busy with a part-time job.

Hobbies and Other Interests: Enjoys ice skating, volleyball, and video games.

Additional Information: Attended diff classes in grade school, which is earned by top-achieving students.

Tessa McInerney, daughter of Allen and Lisa McInerney, is a 7th-grade student at North American Martyrs School.

Why was this student nominated? Tessa was nominated because of her amazing work ethic and leadership.

Civic and volunteer involvement: Collected donations for charities at her birthday parties. Served lunches at Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach.

Athletic accomplishments: Member of the competitive dance team at Greater Impact Dance Studio.

Religious activities: Sings at Mass. Participates in 40 Days for Life, Prayer Vigils, Life Chain, and Walk for Life.

Hobbies and outside interests: Acting, dancing, singing, reading, watching cooking shows.April

April 8

Travion Johnson, son of Victoria and Drew Edmond, is a 7th-grade at Pound Middle School.

Why was this student nominated? Travion is a kind and considerate student. Each day, he demonstrates kindness in his interactions with peers, no matter their social standing. Trey is always willing to lend a helping hand to his classmates and teachers. He completes high-quality work and seeks information/opportunities to learn new things.

Awards and Recognition – Trey has maintained a 3.5 GPA or higher throughout his middle school years and regularly puts in extra effort to ensure that his grades reflect his hard work and dedication to school. His teachers recognize him frequently for being a standout student. He is also a member of a school group that focuses on new ideas to implement at Pound.

Civic and Volunteer involvement – This past January, Trey was selected to participate in the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Rally. He fulfilled the role of reading a write-up about the historic song “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” which was sung during the Civil Rights Era in the 1950’s.

Athletic accomplishments – Trey enjoys playing football and basketball, and currently plays AAU basketball through Supreme. He plays flag football through the YMCA, and will soon be starting a spring season of 7v7 football through Lincoln Youth Football. Each day before his practices and/or games, Trey commits himself to a home workout to focus on enhancing his skills in each of these sports. He has developed so much throughout the years, and was a phenomenal leader on the teams he was a part of In 6th grade. He won a knockout contest at Pound and was then selected to participate in a championship knockout contest at a Lincoln Southeast basketball game, competing with other middle schoolers throughout Lincoln..

Hobbies and outside interests – Trey enjoys playing family sports games, drawing, video games, spending time with his younger brothers, and making his household laugh.

Other comments – Trey is such a wonderful role model for those around him. He has always stood up for what’s right and encourages others around him to be themselves. His sense of humor and positive attitude keep everyone moving forward and enjoying the ups and downs of life. We are so proud of the young man he’s growing into !

March 21, 2024

Chelsea Billiouxe, daughter of Didier Billiouxe and Alyssa Roeder, is an 8th-grade student at Blessed Sacrament School.
Why was this student nominated?

Chelsea is an enthusiastic student who pushes herself to excel and succeed. Additionally, she frequently volunteers and steps up in class.

Civic & volunteer involvement: Cleans veterans’ headstones.

Athletic accomplishments: Competes in volleyball.

Religious activities: Reader at Mass.

Hobbies & outside interests: Archery Club.

Carter Aksamit, son of Crystal Aksamit, is a 7^th-grade student at Saint John the Apostle School.

Why was this student nominated? Carter is a mature, responsible student, often showing kindness towards other students. He is a confident learner and asks questions to better understand information. He is cheerful and helpful in the classroom, and he is a valued friend. Carter shows a love of learning outside the classroom.

Awards & Recognition: Carter has been on the JETS Honor Roll, received the Saint John Berchmanns’ Award, and is a past Jetsetter Award winner.

Civic and Volunteer Involvement: Carter volunteered during the YMCA Turkey

Trot.

Athletic Accomplishments: He is a member of the Bucks Gold and the Saint John’s boys basketball teams.

Religious Activities: Carter attends daily Mass, participates as an altar server, and

regularly receives the sacrament of Confession.

Hobbies & Outside Interests: Carter loves hanging out with friends, online

gaming, playing basketball, swimming, and football. He enjoys world history and

is interested in aerospace engineering and aviation. Carter has attended several

airshows in Lincoln, the Sound of Speed Airshow in St. Joseph, Mo., and an airshow

at Miramar Airforce Base in San Diego, Calif.

Navy Reisinger, daughter of Jonathan and Alicia Reisinger, is a 6th-grade student at Park Middle School.

Why was this student nominated? Navy Reisinger is an exceptional student and leader. She excels in her academics at Park and puts forth extraordinary effort and quality in her work. Navy is reliable and always willing to give a helping hand.

Interests and hobbies: She enjoys writing her own stories, reading, and drawing. She was able to showcase her love for the arts by participating in the Park Middle School play titled “The Wind in the Willows”. Outside of school, she participates in a Youth Council group.

Favorite classes: Navy enjoys several of her classes at Park; Healthy Living and Math are two of her favorites.

Future: She has dreams of one day becoming a surgeon.

Atley Janecek, daughter of Joel and Torri Janecek, is an 8^th-grade student at Lincoln Lutheran Middle/High School.

Awards: High Honor roll each semester at Lincoln Lutheran.

Why was the student nominated? She is an extremely hard worker, a great classmate, and a genuinely good kid. She never shies away from a challenge and is always willing to work with any of her classmates. She uses her time productively and always sets a good example for others.

Civic and volunteer involvement:

Member of Lincoln Lutheran’s C.O.L.T. (Civic Opportunity Leadership Team);
Messiah Color Run volunteer;
Participant in Lincoln Lutheran service days.

Athletic Accomplishments:

As a 7^th grader at the Nebraska State Middle School Track & Field Championships she placed 3^rd in the LJ, 4^th in the 100H and 5^th in the 100;
Lincoln Lutheran MS 100H school record holder;
Lincoln Lutheran MS LJ school record holder;
Member of Lincoln Lasers Basketball Club;
2-year starter on Lincoln Lutheran MS Basketball Team.

Religious Activities

Member of Messiah Lutheran youth group.

Hobbies and Outside Interests:

Track and field (especially the hurdles), basketball, summertime swimming and traveling to warm places with her family.

Ava Colee, daughter of Ashley and Brad Colee, is a 6^th-grade student at Saint John the Apostle School.

Why this student was nominated?: Ava is thoughtful and attentive to the needs of others, consistently takes responsibility for her work and regularly strives to do her best. She is attentive, bright, cooperative, conscientious on making sure her school work is done well and in a timely manner, and is gentle but with a drive to complete projects put in front of her. Ava is an outstanding student who is selfless and caring. Even in the face of adversity, Ava is level-headed, patient, and kind to all those around her. Ava is a good and genuine friend. She is dedicated to her studies, tries her best always, and her smile lights up a room.

Awards & recognition: Jetsetter Award and Principal’s Honor Roll (all A’s in all classes).

Civic and volunteer involvement: Ava is a member of Student Ambassadors, a member of Builders Club, and is actively involved in school and church activities.

Athletic accomplishments: Lincoln Rockets softball, Cornhusker basketball, Flying Aces volleyball,

and Saint John’s cross country.

Religious activities: Ava attends daily Mass, goes to Confession monthly, and attends Totus Tuus.

Outside achievements: Two-time winner of the Knights of Columbus free-throw competition.

Hobbies & outside interests: Ava enjoys hanging out with friends, watching and playing sports, and

spending time with family.

Santino R. Macias, son of Dionray and Teresa Macias, is an 8th-grade student at St. Patrick School.

Why was this student nominated? Santino is a highly-involved student who participates in classes. He asks good questions and is helpful to other students when he understands something well and can share that knowledge. Santino is a curious thinker and often wonders about where things came from or how things may have been. He applies his fascination with the past to the present, often creating good outcomes for himself through hard work and determination. He’s a good friend to others and a positive role model for younger students in the school. Santino is a great classroom citizen.

Awards: Honor roll each year since 2^nd grade, St. Patrick activities award 2023, St. Mary’s Student of the Week.

Civic and Volunteer involvement: 6-year “Grinch Fest” volunteer with Food Bank, Veterans’ Parade participant.

Athletics: Participates on St. Patrick bowling team.

Religious activities: Altar server; attends Totus Tuus camp; Walk for Life and Life Chain participant; attends daily Mass.

Outside achievements: 1^st place Classic Car Show teammate winner; Young Eagles participant; Heritage School award; Junior Achievement participant.

Hobbies and other interests: Antique collecting, small-town adventures, primitives collecting, writing/authoring, vintage/antique machine enthusiast, stoneware and bottle enthusiast.

Additional information: Lead performer in St. Patrick Christmas program, 2023; student reading mentor; school volunteer; “Ganas Ranch” ranch hand; working on own book series.

Nick Baires, son of Lesva Kobryn and Jose Baires, is a 7th-grade student at Park Middle School.

Why was the student nominated? Nick consistently gives his best effort. His work is detailed and it always exceeds expectations. Nick is a student that teachers can depend on when they need someone who is reliable, trustworthy, and kind to others. Nick has a genuine passion for learning that inspires his teachers and his classmates. He is a natural leader in all that he does. Nick’s favorite school subject is math.

Activities, athletics: He plays the saxophone and was a member of the Park Middle School soccer team as well as the basketball team. He participates in the Educational Talent Search through UNL and he is the president of the Park Green Team.

Future: Nick has dreams of pursuing a career in the field of computer science.

Brielle Castens, daughter of Aaron & Maria Castens, is a 7^th-grade student at Lincoln Lutheran Middle/High School.

Why the student was nominated: Brielle is an academically conscientious student who is hard working and an excellent example for her peers. She is polite and kind-hearted.

Awards: High Honor Roll.

Volunteer involvement: Vacation Bible School leader, server at Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach.

Athletic accomplishments: Gymnastics medalist at various levels, variety of places in track sprints and relays.

Religious activities: Confirmation, mission trips, Middle School Ministry.

Hobbies and outside interests: gymnastics, track, baking, band, friends.

Jared Ehlers, son of Jason and Colette Ehlers, grade 8, North American Martyrs School.

Why was this student nominated? He is polite, friendly to peers and adults, a dedicated student who works hard to succeed, and is a positive leader.

Civic and volunteer involvement: Helps serve meals to veterans at the Victory Park veterans’ residence; and helps each year with the Rebecca Miller Memorial Shamrock Showdown hockey tournament for ages 8 and under.

Athletic accomplishments: Member of Lincoln Junior Stars bantam hockey team and the Lincoln Prodigy Legends 13U baseball team. Played for the Police/Sandhills team in the Lincoln Youth Football League.

Religious activities: Member of North American Martyrs Parish, where he is an altar boy and participates in liturgical duties.

Hobbies: Photography and video games.

Brielle Gyhra, daughter of Laurie and Wesley Gyhra, is a 6th-grade student at Saint John the Apostle School.

Why was she nominated? The Middle School Team nominated Brielle because she is dedicated to her studies and asks thoughtful questions. She is a hard worker, helpful in the classroom, very kind to classmates and staff members, usually greets others with a smile, and is very responsible and respectful.

Awards: Principal’s Honor Roll (A’s in all classes).
Civic and volunteer Involvement: Helps with church cleaning, and donates toys to the children’s ward at CHI Health Saint Elizabeth Hospital.
Athletic accomplishments: BElevé Dance Company team member, Lincoln Midwest Ballet Company (LMBC) “Nutcracker” production cast member, 1st place in girls’ 400-meter race, 3rd place in girls’ 200-meter race, 1st place in girls’ mile.
Religious activities: Attends daily Mass, member of Saint John’s Youth Choir, participant in Totus Tuus.
Outside achievements: Received a top award for her jewelry entry in the Custer County Fair open class, and a dance scholarship in hip-hop.
Hobbies & outside interests: Enjoys hanging out with her friends, sewing, reading, baking, and cheering for the Husker football and Husker volleyball teams.

Kharma Holmes, daughter of Kimberly Snelling and Kenith Holmes, is an eighth grader at Lefler Middle School. An honor roll student and member of the Lefler Honors Cadre, Kharma participates in the AVID college-readiness program and the Empowering Positive Leaders group. She is president of Lefler’s Unity Club. “Kharma is a student who follows our school expectations every day,” school officials wrote. “She is respectful to her teachers, takes ownership of her school work, is accepting of all students and shows responsibility by coming to school every day and being a scholar. She is a strong advocate for helping others and encourages her peers to follow school expectations. She is positive, kind and hardworking.” Kharma enjoys baking, cooking, painting, drawing, photography and gardening.

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