A total of 253 students at Junction City High School were honored for their work in the classroom at the Academic Letter Banquet Thursday night.

Those students in the sophomore, junior and senior classes achieved a 3.5 or higher grade point average through three, five or seven semesters depending on grade level they are at in school.

Keynote speaker Terrah Stroda told the students their future holds great promise and in front of her in the Shenk Gym were 200-plus reasons why. Her message was powerful.

Stroda detailed her own family’s struggles with health related issues, and how cancer claimed the lives of her husband and her mother, and her own bout with cancer that she overcame. “And with cancer, very challenging faith journey and people, relationships, and death and the roller coaster of life happens guess what…you will always be a Blue Jay. You see you are made different. You aren’t just academically prepared here, you’re life prepared here.”

The occasion marked the 24th annual Academic Letter Banquet at Junction City High School.