By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
Twenty-five years after he began the Academic Awards Banquet at Junction City former JCHS Principal Greg Springston returned to the Shenk Gym to deliver the keynote remarks at the annual event.
“I challenge you, society’s future leaders to spend your life answering those important questions of life, but most importantly the why. Congratulations I am so proud of all of you.”
Approximately 235 students that have maintained a 3.5 grade point average over a period of three, five or seven semesters, depending upon the class, were honored at the banquet and received academic letters. They included members of the sophomore, junior and senior classes.
Springston challenged each of the students to seek more than academic success and good grades. “Seek an understanding, seek the wisdom that’s necessary for you to be not only successful but for this to be a better world that we’re living in. In this ever changing world acquiring data and facts is becoming easier but acquiring wisdom is not.”
Springston served as the principal at Junction City High School from 1992 until 2006. As she introduced him to speak at the banquet current JCHS Principal Melissa Sharp read a short note that Springston had written to her when she made the difficult decision to leave the basketball coaching profession to become a school administrator. “Melissa, I know how hard it was for you to write the letter. Let me tell you how appreciative I am of the 10 great years you gave our girls and our community. Please understand that your long shadow of influence is only going to grow. Thanks for your continuing support.” Sharp added she still uses those words with other young leaders today.
JCHS alumni who were honored during the previous 25 years of the Academic Awards Banquet also returned to the Shenk Gym. They were recognized during the program, and their names and photos were included in the program. They included Terra Stroda, Marcie ( Roeser ) Proietta, GG ( Gasken ) Booth, Emily Russell, Christina ( Ison ) Spencer, Tara ( Risetter ) Fields, Tiffany ( Sallee ) Dollins, Brandon Kehoe, Matt Junghans, Joel Poole, Jason Quelch, Rindi ( Zimmerman ) Guldner, Mike Heldstab, Garlandra King, Taylor Pender, Dalton Dacus, Jared Gross, James Webb, Emilia Walsh, Xavier DeGuzman, Paige Dacus, Ryan Hennington and Paola Noriega.