Seniors celebrate at Renaissance Academy

• Max Neuhaus, Erin Harris and Linda Berg

Senior Erin Harris, center, accepts an award from local attorney Max Neuhaus, left, and Renaissance Academy Coordinator Linda Berg. Submitted photo.
• Melissa McCardle, Korene Hargrave and Tom Carroll

From left to right are Melissa McCardle, senior student Korene Hargrave, and Tom Carroll. McCardle and Carroll present Hargrave with the Rotary/Kiwanis/Lions Project Scholarship. Submitted photo.
• Robert Gonzales

Graduating senior Robert Gonzales speaks about his employer award. Submitted photo.

Talk about it

With 11 day school seniors having graduated, the Renaissance Academy recently hosted a night to remember their accomplishments. 

The River Falls Academy building’s gymnasium was the scene for the last Parent Night of the 2010-2011 school year. 

The evening’s program highlighted the school’s goals for next year, and recapped the events from the current year. Character education, technology infusion, grant writing, career exploration and environmental learning rounded out an already academically successful year.  

One important feature of the gathering was the graduating class of students. Family members accompanied the seniors along with River Falls community business members. Several area businesses provided apprenticeship placement for the students in a competitive work environment, and helped fulfill a graduation requirement.

Each senior must successfully complete required cores classes such as math, science, English and social studies. They must also complete a required career strand of such as Spanish I & II, technology courses, career assessment class, senior research project/capstone and apprenticeship. 

Apprenticeships are unpaid work experiences in professions of interest for the students based on the career assessment class. Many times students are able to use the apprenticeship as a stepping stone to further education in their fields of choice.

These are the 11 seniors listed with their apprenticeship employers and areas of interest. 

Jacob Adams; Designer Doors; Web design

Bria Anderson; State Farm Insurance; insurance

Katie Anderson; Rocky Branch Elementary School; kindergarten teacher’s aide

Robert Gonzalez; UW-River Falls Career, Counseling and Health Services; counseling

Korene Hargrave; River Falls Chamber of Commerce; administrative assistant and event assistant)

Erin Harrison-Hanson; Rodli Besker Kruger & Pletcher; paralegal

Samantha Hudson; River Falls Municipal Utilities; office management

Will Jernigan; Viola Media; marketing and media

Holly Rapoport; Corporate Apparel; printing

Chelsea Robinson; Minnesota Rubber and Plastics; molding and production

Amy Yeager; UW-RF Police; law enforcement

Several scholarship recipients were also acknowledged during Parents Night. 

Korene Hargrave received the Rotary/Kiwanis/Lions Service Project Scholarship, an award that is a joint effort of the three civic organizations, where the student submits a proposal to do a volunteer activity.

Hargrave’s proposal was accepted. She was to organize and run a cereal food drive then donate the contributions to the River Falls Food Pantry.

Hargrave successfully held the drive among three schools and donated many pounds of cereal. 

Another scholarship recipient was Robert Gonzalez, who received the Friends of Renaissance Scholarship which goes to an outstanding student who is planning on attending a postsecondary school in the fall. Gonzalez overcame many obstacles and successfully graduated with his peers.

Tags: river falls, education, k12