Schools
Brothers and debate teammates Jared and Jason Barton
Isabel Pask, Jared Barton, Jason Barton, Arjun Nair and Justin Rice of the Lake Highlands High School Debate Team will be traveling to Birmingham, AL, on June 14 to compete in the National Championship Tournament of the National Forensics League. Jared Barton says, “This is a larger-than-average number for a team to send to the National Tournament across the nation. This is unprecedented, not only in the history of Lake Highlands, but also in RISD.” Former White House cabinet members, corporate CEOs, and stage and screen celebrities will judge the final rounds of the national competition. Winners will earn more than $200,000 in college scholarships.
Nonprofits
The Exchange Club of Lake Highlands made a $4,000 donation to the Lake Highlands Area Early Childhood Parent Teacher Association, a continuation of their ongoing collaboration. The nonprofit association was an early supporter of the Exchange Club’s annual Oktoberfest event, helping the Exchange Club to organize and run the Kid Zone, solicit sponsors and recruit vendors for the past two years. Donated funds help the PTA in various ways, including club activities, kids’ play groups, service opportunities, parent education sessions, adult interest groups and donation drives.
People
Daniel Merrill, a Lake Highlands resident and junior at Davidson College, received the James Baker Woods III Award. Merrill was selected for being a rising senior military science cadet who has displayed outstanding qualities of leadership, moral character, academic achievement and aptitude for military service. At the awards presentation, Merrill was praised for “demonstrating superior leadership qualities in the planning and execution of a Davidson College Red Cross blood drive, as the Cadet First Sergeant during leadership labs, and most recently being selected as the top Advanced Cadet at the annual Joint Field Training Exercise. He has exhibited great moral character both in and out of uniform in his election to the prestigious Davidson College Honor Council. He is also a member of the Dean’s List.”
Father-daughter duo Stuart and Bradyn Smith shaved their heads and raised $10,970 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for childhood cancer research in May. Bradyn Smith is a fourth-grader at Highlander School; Stuart’s company, Markit, also is a large contributor to the foundation.
