Editor’s Note: Lawrence School Superintendent Randy Weseman introduced nine special students during Thursday’s Lawrence Schools Foundation’s Fifth Annual Community Education Breakfast at the Lawrence Holidome. Below are excerpts of his speech.

I want to celebrate student achievement today.

While I easily could’ve filled this room with students who deserve recognition for their accomplishments, I am hosting today nine students who excel in a variety of ways.

One of the funny things about inviting the students to be here this morning is that they didn’t want to come. They are so dedicated to their studies that they didn’t want to miss class. It took some arm-twisting, but we got them here.

Let me tell you a little bit about them. First of all, they are all great students. They’re at school on time. They work hard. They do their homework. They maintain good grades. They’re involved in their schools and the community.

Dravid Joseph

Dravid Joseph is a ninth-grader at West Junior High. He’s a gifted writer. His principal, Myron Melton, tells me that he also excels in the areas of science and technology. Last year, Dravid entered and won the Kansas Learning Quest Essay Contest.

I want to read to you the essay that Dravid wrote that won the state contest and earned him a $500 scholarship.

Cardiology – My Dream

Cardiology – the science of the heart and its workings. This has been my dream job ever since third grade when my grandfather died of a heart attack. My grandfather’s death instilled a desire in me to become a cardiac surgeon and help other people survive.

Being a cardiac surgeon is challenging because it places loads of responsibility on your shoulders. When a cardiac surgeon operates on a patient, the patient’s life is in the cardiac surgeon’s hands. It takes just one mistake for the patient’s life to be lost.

In high school, I plan to take advanced biology courses. Then, I hope to gain acceptance to Duke University, for I have heard that they have one of the best cardiac surgery programs in the country. And I hear they also have a somewhat decent basketball team. Cardiac surgery is a job that takes responsibility and the ability to make quick decisions. I hope I am able to do both.

Sara Yilmaz

Sara Yilmaz is a sophomore at Lawrence High. She was involved in a variety of activities at Southwest Junior High, including the Science Club, German competition, the Social Awareness Forum and the track team. One of the activities she participated in at Southwest was Model United Nations. Model U.N. is an authentic simulation of the U.N. General Assembly.

The club encourages the development of skills useful throughout their lives, such as research, writing, public speaking, problem solving, consensus building, conflict resolution, compromise and cooperation. The kids try out for Model U.N. in September, and then they work for seven months researching and practicing their writing and debate skills.

At the Topeka Model U.N. conference last spring, there were about 700 students competing from 60 Kansas schools. Sara was selected as the Outstanding Middle School Delegate overall, and her team, representing the country of Iran, was named the Outstanding Middle School Delegation.

Tim Clark

Tim Clark is a sophomore at Free State High School. Last year as a ninth-grader at Central Junior High, Tim participated in the Kansas City Area Teachers of Mathematics competition in Olathe.

This contest consists of individual tests in problem-solving, mental math and geometry for elementary students, and number sense, algebra, problem solving, geometry, and probability and statistics for secondary students. There’s also a team competition called Mathletics. You know, just your average weekend spent solving math problems for fun.

Medals are awarded to students who place first through eighth. Lawrence students last year received 81 awards, including 21 medals. Tim won five medals.

He earned first place for number sense, third place for algebra, third place in problem-solving and second place overall. Tim’s Mathletics Team from Central Junior High won second place.

Alex Kim

Alex Kim is a junior at Lawrence High. Alex is one of our many talented art students. We’ve had years when our art students have earned upwards of $2 million in scholarships during their senior year.

You may have read about Alex in a recent Journal-World article. He is our recipient of the Congressional Arts Competition Award. His Prismacolor self-portrait was selected to be displayed for a year in a special 25th anniversary art installation at the U. S. Capitol Building.

The art show is called “An Artistic Discovery.” Alex and his family were flown to Washington, D.C., to see the exhibit and tour the Capitol.

The display features one student work from each of the 435 House of Representative districts. Alex’s self-portrait represents the Third Congressional District. In fact, Congressman Dennis Moore was at Lawrence High last week to recognize Alex and to meet his art teacher Wendy Vertacnik.

Mallory West

Student athletes – they balance classwork with practices, competitions, other interests, community service, and they even have social lives. Mallory West is a junior at Lawrence High. Going to tumbling classes at age 4 led Mallory to follow in her older sister Meredith’s footsteps as a gymnast, competing in her first meet at age 7.

We fully expect to see Mallory win her third consecutive state all-around gymnastics title this year. How’s that for pressure, Mallory?

You also may have read about Mallory’s determination and comeback from reconstructive ankle surgery in a recent Journal-World sports page. Mallory is a member of the LHS state champion gymnastics team, which is competing for its third consecutive state title this year.

Mallory is among the best at what she does, and she’s working to get better despite an injury. She wants to add a more difficult vault, with one-and-a-half back flips, and a new dismount from the bars, to her routines this year.

Mallory’s also a cheerleader, competitive diver, and she teaches Sunday School classes for kindergartners.

Nash Riggins

Nash Riggins is a Free State sophomore. As a ninth-grader at West Junior High, Nash earned the National Council of Teachers of English Writing Award. They only give out four of these awards in Kansas, and all four went to Lawrence students last year. Nash and two of his peers at West Junior High earned three, and a Central student earned the fourth.

This is a national writing competition. About 700 students enter two writing samples. Nash told his mother, Stacy, that he thinks he’ll be entering more writing contests, especially the ones with cash prizes. Smart kid.

Jelani Porter

Jelani Porter is a Free State student in his second year in the C-Tran Program. C-Tran stands for Community Transition Program. It’s a community-based program for young adults, ages 18 to 21, who are working on the transition from high school to adult life. Students in the C-Tran program work on improving their daily living, work and social skills.

Jelani’s teacher says he’s conscientious about wanting to do the job just right, and what’s perhaps just as important is that he’s eager to go out of his way to help others succeed.

Jelani competed last spring in the Job Olympics. This is a series of contests held at Johnson County Community College designed to test students’ work and social skills. Jelani won three medals, including first place in making change, where he demonstrated his cashiering skills.

I understand that he really likes cars, and he may want to find a job in the future that relates to cars or car sales.

Alan Shi

Quail Run Elementary School has built a dynasty in chess. Alan Shi is a seventh-grader at Southwest Junior High this year, but he’s here this morning representing all of the outstanding chess players to come out of Quail Run.

Alan led the team to the Kansas State Invitational Chess Championship last year. He also claimed the Individual State Elementary Chess Championship for himself.

Alan has played chess since third grade. He has bested many high school students in tournaments along the way. He’s currently ranked 13th nationally.

Alan was quoted in the newspaper last May saying that chess helps his brain work harder.

Timmia Hearn-Feldman

Timmia Hearn-Feldman, a junior at Lawrence High School, combined her love of history and theater into a dramatic History Day performance titled “I Have the Heart and Stomach of a King: Queen Elizabeth the First Taking a Stand in a Man’s World.”

Her one-woman show involved 10 months of preparation and in-depth primary source research. She interviewed British historians by phone and read several books. She wrote her own script. She even perfected an English accent for her performance, which she presented dressed in a period gown, wig and powdered face.

History Day contestants are judged on how they analyze and interpret history, and the historical quality of their presentations.

Timmia competed at Regional History Day and earned the right to advance to the state level. She placed first at the State History Day contest, advancing to nationals in College Park, Maryland. At the national contest, she received first place, a gold medal, and $1,000.