Outstanding Students Recognized at MAC Commencement
May 12, 2012

Mineral Area College’s Park Hills campus will be busy Saturday morning, May 5, as more than 260 students walk through commencement ceremonies.

Several students will be recognized who demonstrate above-average skill and hard work in service, classroom work, and other areas of campus life. The seven Outstanding Student Awards are offered in Art, Music, Athletics, Leadership and Campus Service, Theatre, Career and Technical Education Division, and Arts and Sciences Division.

Commencement begins at 10:30 a.m., May 5, in the Robert E. Sechrest Sr. Field House.

Torey Watson, son of Todd Watson and Julie Watson, is this year’s Outstanding Student from the Arts and Sciences Division. Torey is from Leadington and attended school in the West County School District, graduating in 2009. His course load at MAC has emphasized science, as he has been preparing to transfer to Southern Illinois University in the fall where he will pursue a degree in pharmacy.

While at MAC, he has played on the golf team, has tutored for Excel Student Support Services, and has been a member of Phi Theta Kappa. He enjoys music, playing the trombone and bass guitar, and is active in the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, Studio Music performances, and Theater Band.

His jazz instructor, Michael Goldsmith, describes him as an “outstanding student and even better, an incredible person.” Torey indicated he has had a very positive experience here at the college and cites being on the golf team and playing for the various musical performances as highlights. He acknowledged the extremely helpful staff he encounters in his daily activities.

Mineral Area’s Outstanding Student from the Career and Technical Education Division is Kayla R. Burt. Kayla is from Desloge and graduated from North County High School in 2010. Her parents are Kevin and Janice Bess. She is married to Dan Burt.

She said she has met many amazing people at MAC and she has enjoyed learning from her instructors. After she graduates, she plans to continue working for her family-owned business and is thinking of working toward a bachelor’s degree in business in the near future.

The Outstanding Student in Art this year is Josh Gann. Josh is from Farmington and is the son of Don and Karen Gann. He is a graduate of Farmington High School. Josh played baseball for one season for the MAC Cardinals.

He has taken a number of art courses with Jim Wilson, art professor at MAC, and said that, under Wilson’s supervision, he has had a wonderful artistic experience. He was involved in an on-campus art exhibition known as the “Wise Guys” which not only gave him the experience of displaying his work but also helped him learn how to prepare for gallery shows.

He is graduating this spring and has been accepted as a student at the Kansas City Art Institute in the fall.

Two outstanding students will be honored in Athletics, and they are Tanner Glore of Mineral Point and Walter “Lee” Wilson of Perryville.

Tanner is the son of Jody Glore and Melissa Eye. He graduated from Potosi High School in 2010. He is a baseball player, and during his freshman year, he was designated as an All-Conference and All-Region player. After he leaves MAC, he will continue on to a four-year school, where he hopes to be able to continue playing baseball while he gets a bachelor’s degree in exercise science.

Walter “Lee” Wilson is a non-traditional student who moved to Perryville from North Carolina. He and his wife, Lani, have two children, Ethan and Talulah. Lee has not only taken full academic loads but also plays on MAC’s golf team and participates in Student Government Association.

He said he has enjoyed the personal relationships with faculty and staff, and he has made great new friends. Lee intends to get his education degree and will continue his own education back in North Carolina at Appalachian State University.

Lindsey Douglas is this year’s recipient of the Leadership and Campus Service award. Lindsey is the daughter of Danny and Paula Douglas, and she is a 2010 graduate of Farmington High School. Lindsey has been an active member of Phi Theta Kappa, serving as vice-president of scholarship, and she is a member of the Art Club.

Her special area of interest is art, and her dream is to pursue a career in which she is able to mix both creativity and business. She will transfer this fall to University of Missouri-Columbia, where she’ll major in textiles and retail management.

Lindsey said she has had many positive experiences at MAC during her two years, including her art studies with Wilson, going to Chicago with the Art Club, and holding her own at the “Support the Arts” variety show. She will continue to advocate keeping the arts in education.

Steven Young has been selected as this year’s Outstanding Student in Music. Steven is the son of Robert and Valerie Young, and he is a 2009 graduate of North County High School. He has been a part of several music groups here on campus, both vocal and instrumental. He has participated in Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, Studio Music, MAC Kicks Band, MAC Singers, and Chamber Singers.

Through positive experiences in his classes and with the various groups, Steven seed he feels he has matured both as a person and as a student. Memorable times at MAC include meeting and playing with world-renowned artists at the annual MAC Jazz Festivals. He will continue his education at MAC and then plans to attend a four-year university to earn a degree in music performance.

The Outstanding Student in the area of Theatre is Ian P. Miller, son of Frank and Katie Miller of Desloge. Ian was home-schooled and came to MAC in the summer of 2009. While at MAC he has been a member of the Little Theatre Guild and of Delta Psi Omega, serving as president in 2010 and as secretary in 2011-12.

He has appeared in a variety of roles in several productions including Falstaff in “Merry Wives of Windsor,” Master in “Charlie Brown,” and Myself in “Godspell.” His latest appearance was in the MAC production of “Cabaret.” He said that over the last few years, he has made friends he will have for the rest of his life and that he has learned more than he ever could have imagined.

He said he feels he has picked up many skills that he otherwise would not have had, had it not been for attending MAC. Ian is planning to pursue his bachelor’s degree in theater and dance study, and his career goal is to become first a professional actor, and then one day, a director.

From left, Walter “Lee” Wilson, Kayla R. Burt, Ian P. Miller, Lindsey Douglas, Torey Watson, and Josh Gann. (Not pictured: Steven Young and Tanner Glore.)