Youth recognized at Danville-Boyle chamber luncheon



The Danville/Boyle County Chamber of Commerce hosted the fifth annual Youth Appreciation Luncheon to recognize 12 deserving students. The Chamber, in partnership with the county's three high schools, honored these students at the end of the school year for overcoming difficulties in their lives and staying in school.



Chamber Executive Director Paula Fowler Kilby said, "The luncheon recognizes the effort, resilience and perseverance of young people in our community who have succeeded in the real world of day-to-day life. These 12 students are succeeding in homes and classrooms and workplaces where ordinary people deal with illness, disability, personal and family problems and many other obstacles. They overcome those obstacles. They get up in the morning and go to school or to work - and they complete the tasks and assignments of the day to the best of their ability, without complaining. They persevere. They treat other people with courtesy and kindness - and do not expect special treatment in return. And all of this is going on without most of us having any idea of the obstacles or burdens that are involved."



The young people were nominated by their teachers or counselors. Every story is unique and every set of circumstances is different. Individual achievement and accomplishment was acknowledged and the students were encouraged to continue on the course that they have begun.



The recognized students are:



Boyle County High School



Senior: Kayla Moore
Junior: Manly Bryant
Sophomore: Kacie Mosko
Freshman: Cassandra Carey



Danville High School



Senior: Jonathan Ramone Mucker
Junior: Megan Anderson
Sophomore: Michelle Burdette
Freshman: Lydia Nicole Thornton



Kentucky School for the Deaf



Senior: Kim Yarnell
Junior: Heather Gamble
Sophomore: Johnathon Taylor
Freshman: Nurur Rahman Chowdhury



Some of the many challenges and obstacles facing these 12 students included: teen pregnancies and parenthood, health issues, physical and emotional challenges, behavioral issues, being hard of hearing, as well as being hard of hearing with no language. Some of the students experienced homelessness and many overcame academic challenges. Some initially never took education seriously, others are typical teenagers who fear not fitting in, while some have been in car accidents - one that has left one student with significant injuries that required learning to walk again and learning to see with one eye.



Steve Rinehart, immediate past board chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and co-chair of the Chamber's Workforce Development Committee, shared what businesses are looking for in qualified employees. Rinehart also is human resources manager for Denyo and is responsible for hiring that company's employees. Rinehart recognizes first-hand the challenges facing the business community in finding and keeping qualified employees and shared what he looks for in hiring employees.



Sponsors



This event was sponsored by the following businesses and organizations:



American Association of University Women



Bob Miller, State Farm Insurance



Boyle County Retired Teachers



Caregivers by Linda



Central Kentucky Federal Savings Bank



Community Trust Bank



Danville-Boyle County Drug-Free Community



Ephraim McDowell Health



Kiwanis Club of Danville



Knights of Columbus



Lions Club of Danville



National City Bank



Rotary Club of Danville



Donors



The following businesses each gave gifts for a gift bag for each student:



Bluegrass Community and Technical College



Central Kentucky Federal Savings Bank



Centre College



Community Trust Bank



Danville Lions Club



Farmers National Bank



Fort Knox Federal Savings Bank



Inter County Energy



Kentucky Cattlemen's Association



Mary Kay Cosmetics through Paula Knudsen



National City Bank



SDK Apparel and Promotional Products



The 10th Planet



Yesterday's Potions.Copyright:The Advocate-Messenger 2007