Academic excellence was the focus Monday as 42 Marion High School students were honored for their classroom achievements at the annual Kiwanis Honors Banquet at MHS.

“Kiwanis’ charter is to serve the children of the community,” Kiwanis banquet committee member Doug Heerey said. “One way we do that it to be supportive of students’ scholastic efforts.”

MHS Principal Tod Gordon said the banquet honors students who have demonstrated consistently high academic performance through the first three quarters of the school year.

“They have to be on the regular or high honor roll all three nine weeks,” Gordon said. “If they drop down to honorable mention in one of those, they don’t qualify.”

MHS forensics team members Andrew Kjellin and Jay Dee Schafers provided the program for the event. Kjellin delivered a dramatic solo acting performance, and Schafers entertained the audience with a humorous interpretive reading.

Kiwanis members Heerey and State Rep. J. Robert Brookens presented certificates of achievement to the students.

KIWANIS HONOR STUDENTS

Seniors — Whitney Gordon, Taylor Harms, Colten Johnson, Andrew Kjellin, Elizabeth Nesser, Jessie Taylor, Annie Whitaker.

Juniors — Isaac Baldwin, Nicholas Davies, Jennifer Fruechting, Spencer Fugitt, Elizabeth Goentzel, Clark Kroupa, Cassandra McPhail, Erin Meierhoff, Aaron Molleker, Ryan Nelson, James Svoboda.

Sophomores — Megan Davies, Katey Ehrlich, Kaitlyn Frese, Jared Hague, Kelli Hess, Cheyenne Jeffrey, James Jones, Clinton Kroupa, Jordan Laurin, Alicia Maloney, Caitlyn Maloney, Lauren McLinden, Nicholas Meyer, Megan Richmond, Zachary Robson, Abbey Smith, Amanda Stuchlik, Kaelyn Thierolf.

Freshmen — Jacob Baldwin, Samantha Davies, Julia Hall, Raleigh Kroupa, Bret Voth, Kaylie Waner.