schools
Students Present Senior Projects
By Scott Laird
Each year Vernonia High School seniors are
provided with an opportunity to explore a career of
their choice through the Career Related Learning Ex-
perience (CRLE). This project culminates in the form
of a final “Senior Project” which demonstrates to the
school and the community the student’s academic com-
petence.
The goals of the project are to combine read-
ing, writing, doing, speaking, and thinking and devel-
Jackson Miller
ops skills in personal management, problem solving,
communication, and interpersonal skills.
The Senior Project actually starts during the
student’s junior year when they write a required paper
looking at three potential careers. From the three ca-
reers investigated the student chooses one career to
explore further during their senior year.
Students work with a community mentor who
has expertise in the project area, Mentors must verify
that the student spent at least twenty hours on the proj-
ect.
In addition, students must complete a Letter
of Intent about their project, create a physical display
showcasing their project, and make an oral presenta-
tion before a panel of community judges. Arena style
presentations are also made the same day as the oral
presentation.
During the oral presentation students discuss
what they learned from their junior paper, show results
of their project, and discuss what they learned while
doing the project.
During arena style presentations this year, stu-
dents were available with the physical display portion
of their project to discuss what they learned and talk
about their experience.
Samantha Morgan explored Veterinarian as a
career by working with Vernonia Veterinarian Clinic
staff including Dr. Fowler and Dr. Gold. Morgan says
she wasn’t sure about veterinary medicine as a career
before this experience. “It was really fun and it really
interests me.” Morgan says she now intends to pursue
2012
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this as a career.
VHS for the last two years and will be certified in May
Nicki Thompson studied Pastry Chef and as a Technician. Elliot says she initially started the
learned through hands--on experience by baking al- project with the idea that it might be a career for her,
mond roca, dark chocolate truffles, caramel turtles, but learned that the job involves a lot of repetition “...
donuts, cupcakes and a birthday cake for her
younger brother. Thompson says she really
liked her experience and learned that “...it takes
a lot of time and you have to be patient and you
have to be steady with your hand.” Thompson
says she plans to attend culinary school.
Natalie Wallace applied for and was
accepted for a Nursing Internship at
Tuality Hospital. Wallace says she
worked in the Progressive Care Unit
for twenty-six hours over four days
and learned that there was a lot more
paper work and charting than she re-
alized and that “...your patients al-
ways come first.” Wallace says she is
more interested in work that involves
Robin Elliot
lab work and research but that nurs-
ing still might be an option for her.
and I’m not sure I could do it of the rest of my life.”
Jackson Miller worked with VHS Elliot says she sees working as a Pharmacy Tech as a
Band Instructor Rob Izzet while “Learning way to help her pay her way through college and says
to Conduct.” Miller says he learned that he she is very interested in a career in either Nutrition or
is interested in pursuing a career in Music Law.
Courtney Paden worked at the local Head Start
and “there is still so much I need to learn and
know.” Miller just found out he has been and observed four children for intensity/activity level,
quality of mood, and sensitiv-
accepted into the School of
ity towards others and determined
Music and Dance at the Uni-
whether each child was an extro-
versity of Oregon and says
vert or introvert. Paden says she
he would like to become a
will be attending Western Oregon
high school music teacher.
University next fall to study Child
Miller says he plays the
Psychology.
trombone, trumpet, piano,
Nathan Owen job shadowed
guitar, “and a couple other
local Police Officer Shawn Car-
instruments.
nahan. Owen says he learned a
Kelsey Brown job
lot about the job while riding in
shadowed the local Natu-
the patrol car and says he plans to
ropath, Dr. Carol McIntyre.
enter the police academy when he
Brown says she learned
turns twenty-one. “ It was really
about acupuncture, manipu-
helpful to talk with Officer Carna-
lations and natural supple-
han about his job and get out there
ments. “Ours bodies were
and see what it is really like.”
built to naturally heal them-
Katie Ellington studied Inte-
selves,” says Brown. Brown
rior Design and worked with her
says she received acupunc-
sister, Renee Harris as a mentor.
ture herself, “for the experi-
“I fell in love with it right away
ence,” and helped with in-
because it is such a creative pro-
ventory to learn more about
cess and I am very creative,” says
the supplements. “I’m more
Ellington. Ellington designed a
interested in working with
Katie
Ellington
Teacher’s Lounge for the new Ver-
the pediatric population,”
says Brown. “I may see a naturopath myself and I’ve nonia School after meeting with Superintendent Dr.
definitely adopted a lot of the practices into my own Cox and also surveying all the teachers in the district.
Ellington designed three rooms in one, that includes a
daily life.”
Robin Elliot shadowed local pharmacist Phil work area, an eating area and a relaxing area. “The
Darrah to learn about being a Pharmacy Technician. concept I was going for was modern, clean, simple and
Elliot has been involved in the Pharmacy Program at easy to maintain,” says Ellington.
VHS Winter Sports Wrap Up
Wrestling—The Loggers and head
coach Chris Wolf finished a tremendous
season that included a fifth place finish
at the 2A State tournament, several
tournament team victories, and the
highlight of the season, a District Team
Championship.
The Loggers won the District
meet with 240 points, far ahead of
second place Neah-Kah-Nie with 186.5.
The Loggers had eighteen wrestlers
who won medals including three
individual champions, Quin Johansen,
Jacob Stevens and Brett Benes and
two additional qualifiers for the State
Tournament, Shylo Dooley and Joe
Benes.
District Medal Winners were:
120 lbs: Sammy Morgan – 5th place,
Jeff Goodman – 6th place; 126 lbs:
Tynystan Talantov – 4th place; 132 lbs:
Shylo Dooley – 2nd place, Bill Organ
– 5th place; 138 lbs: Bridger Steward –
march27
6th place, 145 lbs: Quin Johansen – 1st
place, Dillon Dethlefs – 5th place, 152
lbs: Joe Benes – 2nd place, Mikol Pihl
– 4th place, Ethan Johnston – 5th place;
160 lbs: Jake Barnes – 3rd place, Jacob
Levenseller – 4th place, Dylan Taylor –
6th place; 170 lbs: Dawson Shay – 3rd
place, Kristian Wredstroem – 4th place,
182 lbs: Jacob Stevens – 1st place; 195
lbs: Brett Benes – 1st place.
At the State Tournament Dooley
saw an early end to the tournament as he
was eliminated after his first two matchs.
Dooley ended an otherwise outstanding
career as a two-time District Champion
four time State Qualifier.
Joe Benes, battling a broken
hand throughout the tournament, fought
back after losing his first match to take
fourth place. Benes also ended an
excellent career, winning one District
Championship and also qualifying four
times for State.
Johansen had a good series of
matches at State finishing 3-1 and taking
third place.
Jake Stevens won his first two
matches by fall to earn a spot in the
Championship match, where he lost a
grueling bout, 10-7 and brought home
the second place medal.
Brett Benes also won his first
two matches by fall to make it into the
finals, where he also lost a tough match
12-8 and finish second in the state.
At the Winter Sports Awards,
Jacob Stevens was named Most Valuable
Male Athlete and Samantha Morgan
was named Most Valuable Female
Athlete. Quin Johansen was named
Most Improved and Jake Barnes and Joe
Benes were named Most Inspirational.
Boys Basketball—It was obviously a
great season for first year head coach
David Weller and the Loggers who
finished their year with a 24-5 overall
record, a 13-3 league record, a 2A
Northwest League Championship and a
berth in the State Playoffs for a second
year in a row. The Loggers capped it off
with a home win over Pilot Rock at the
Logger Dome in the first round of the
state playoffs to earn a trip to the final
eight in Pendleton for the first time in 16
years. At the State Championships, in
front of a large contingent of traveling
Logger fans the boys won the 4 th place
trophy.
Seniors Craig Weller and Pavel
Jiranek were named First Team All
League and senior Austin Edgar and
junior Austin Cutright were named
Second Team All League. At the State
Tournament Jiranek was named First
Team All Tournament and Cutright was
named Second Team All Tournament.
Jiranek and Craig Weller were both
named Third Team All State.
At the Winter Sports Awards,
Austin Cutright was named Most
Valuable Player, Pavel Jiranek was
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