Top three SR High School seniors honored

Collier shares Valedictorian honors
Mary Margaret Moorhead - Staff Writer

Erin Collier, daughter of Mark and Dot Collier of Versailles, shared this year's South Ripley Class of 2005 Valedictorian honors with her close friend Holly Toops. Both girls earned a 4.0435 GPA, which is even better than a straight A average.

Weighted grades for the first time in South Ripley's history made the difference, according to Collier, who noted that her favorite subjects were math, science, and speech. She combined the three in her Valedictory address at Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 28, at Tyson Gym.

Although she experienced a number of interesting experiences during her four years at South Ripley, Erin says the highlight was winning the Ripley County Girls' Basketball Tourney twice. "Actually we won it three times, but I was sick during my sophomore year and had to listen to it at home."

As a member of the Lady Raiders, Erin played point guard for Coach Bill Snyder and was named to the All-Tourney teams her junior and senior years, the All-Conference team her junior and senior years, and the All-Sectional team this year.

Other highlights during her senior year included being involved in the mock car crash "because it was very realistic. Officer Benjamin was very serious the whole time. I was really scared," Erin said about the event that took place for the South Ripley student body prior to prom time.

Erin enjoyed playing the role of "Belinda" in the senior play "Jolly Roger and the Pirate Queen," participating in the trumpet section of the high school band for four years, and playing both volleyball and basketball all four years.

She was also a member of Student Council for four years, serving as historian and secretary; the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a member of the Leadership Team; Math Club during her junior and senior years and treasurer this year; and class treasurer for three years.

In addition to maintaining a high scholastic average and being involved in numerous activities, Erin also found time to be a math tutor for Mrs. Lori Linkmeyer's fourth grade classroom on Monday's and Wednesday's each week.

Erin has one younger sister Kellie, who will be a sophomore at South Ripley next school year.

Among her most valued awards is the Lilly Scholarship presented to her by the Ripley County Community Foundation, Inc. She has also received the Presidential and Faculty scholarships from Hanover College, where she plans to attend and major in math.

As one might expect with both her father and grandfather in the teaching profession, Erin hopes to receive her certification in secondary education to teach math and coach girls' basketball. She will play basketball at Hanover College for Head Coach Molly Jones and her husband John.

In fact, Erin will be helping at the girls' portion of the Hanover Basketball Camp at the end of June. "I attended the basketball camp at Hanover for four years and always said, 'I want to be a coach,'" Erin tells me.

A member of St. John's Catholic Church in Osgood, Erin has been a server and is now a reader. She has volunteered at Hospitality Hall at Margaret Mary Community Hospital for two years, reading and visiting with the patients as a community service project.

During the summer she will spend some time volunteering at South Ripley Elementary School for whatever tasks her father might find for her to do, and she will be teaching swimming lessons.

Erin was one of 24 seniors to receive the Academic Honors Diploma at graduation and one of 18 to be wearing the gold stole and tassel of the National Honor Society. She was also named a Hoosier Scholar for 2005.

Erin Collier

Toops is SR's Co-Valedictorian
Mary Margaret Moorhead - Staff Writer

Maintaining the highest GPA at South Ripley High School this year was only one of the goals Holly Toops reached.

Her involvement with many of the school's extra-curricular activities as well as her citizenship won her the honor of representing Ripley County as the DAR Good Citizen, a coveted honor for seniors in the county.

The daughter of Ray and Freda Toops, Holly has an older sister April and a younger sister Brittany. April is a pharmacy student at Butler University, and Brittany will be an eighth grader at South Ripley next year.

Sharing a GPA of 4.0435 with her good friend Erin Collier provided Holly the opportunity to speak at the Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 28, and to hone her skills as a future Language Arts teacher.

Favorite subjects for Holly during her high school career were English and speech, along with the yearbook class, all taught by Mrs. Nancy Durham, whose job she jokingly says she hopes someday to have.

As both president of the Class of 2005 and the Student Council, Holly records the highlights of the year as emceeing the Homecoming events and playing the role of "Damby" in the speech class play "Jolly Roger and the Pirate Queen." She also enjoyed attending this year's prom with her friends.

Being named a recipient of the Lilly Scholarship from the Ripley County Community Foundation, Inc. was indeed an honor for Holly, who also received the SRCTA Scholarship, the Ripley County Farm Bureau scholarship, the Sand Creek Association Scholarship, and the Indiana Young Economist award.

In addition she was top student for Tri Kappa, received the VFW Voice of Democracy award for her outstanding essay, and won a thesaurus and a collegiate dictionary from Delta Kappa Gamma Teachers Society.

Among the many medals she received was a perfect attendance award for six years. She also won the English, Activities, Citizenship, Yearbook, and Student Council medals as well as being named a Hoosier Scholar, a member of the National Honor Society, and a recipient of an Honors Diploma.

Holly was a member of the Student Council all four years and was class president all four years. She also played softball for four years, was a member of FCA three years and the Leadership Team her senior year. She served on the yearbook staff and the Academic Team as well as being a member of Math Club, Varsity Club, Spanish Club, SAE, and Social Studies Club.

As a member of Hopewell Baptist Church, Holly serves as treasurer of the youth group, is a greeter and an usher, and volunteers as a nursery worker. She also helps with Bible School.

During the school year she tutored students in Mrs. Becky Eaton's third grade classroom every other Wednesday, student taught and job shadowed a teacher as a part of her involvement with SAE.

For the past three years Holly has been employed at the Versailles Dairy Queen.

She will attend Franklin College, where she will major in Language Arts with a certification in secondary education.

Wearing the gold stole of the National Honor Society, Holly led her 74 classmates in the tassel ceremony to complete the graduation ceremony at Tyson Gym.

Holly Toops

Overshiner finishes as Salutatorian
Mary Margaret Moorhead - Staff Writer

Although only hundredths of a point separated the three, Sarah Overshiner had to be content with South Ripley's Salutatorian status, finishing with a 4.0354 GPA - well above a straight A average.

Sarah is the daughter of James and Barbara Overshiner and the younger sister of John, who has just completed his junior year at Indiana University.

For Sarah, favorite subjects included AP Biology, Chemistry II, and AP Literature. She found math to be her hardest subject, but hard work and perseverance got her through her math courses with top grades.

As she looks back, the highlights of her senior year, which was her favorite year, were the Pumpkin Show and the prom. She also enjoyed attending USS Nightmare at New Port on the Levy and Grad Night at Kings Island.

She participated in soccer for four years and in track for four years. She was also a band member all through high school; a majorette for four years and head majorette for three years; a member of Young Confederates for four years and of choir for three years.

During her time as a majorette, Sarah was a twirling instructor for the Raiderettes. She also belonged to Student Council, Spanish Club, and Varsity Club for four years; Math Club for two years; and Social Studies Club for one year.

Besides being a member of the National Honor Society, Sarah received the Science Medal and the Band Medallion. She was awarded both the Student Council and the Math Club scholarships. During her soccer days, she won the Best Defense Award and the Senior Academic Award for both soccer and track.

Sarah participated in HOBY, sponsored by Hugh O'Brien, and the Lugar Symposium sponsored by Senator Richard Lugar. Last summer she served as a United States Senate Page for Senator Lugar, an experience that has influenced her decision to study political science as her major and biology as a minor at Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio.

From Wittenberg she has received the Matthies Scholarship, which awards her $15,500 per year as long as she maintains a high grade point average. She is also the recipient of a grant for $1,550. Sarah's goal is to study abroad her junior year.

Among her volunteer activities, Sarah has been a "Hooked on Phonics" tutor, worked junior high track meets, sold concessions at ball games, and taught junior high majorettes their routines for tryouts.

Her senior project involved volunteering at the Madison/Jefferson County Humane Society Animal Shelter, a deed of love because that was the place she got her dog Toby in 2002.

Although not a member of the senior speech class, Sarah performed the role of "Creaky" in "Jolly Roger and the Pirate Queen." Her address as Class Salutatorian was titled "Are You Scared?" - a challenge to her fellow classmates to live life to its fullest, to be prepared and willing to take risks to achieve goals and dreams.

Sarah Overshiner