Tavares High School senior Asher Walker won the Roger Dearing Spirit of Sport Award and will receive a $1,500 scholarship, the Florida High School Athletic Association announced last week. Walker will be honored at the FHSAA Academic All-State banquet in June and nominated for the National Spirit of Sport Scholarship Award. He has a 3.63 GPA, is an Advanced Placement Scholar at Tavares High, and earned varsity letters in swimming all four years of high school. His senior year, Walker placed seventh in the 50 free and third in 100 free and set a new school record. Last year, he also was a Triangle News Leader Athlete of the Week. Walker is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and National Honor Society. As a certified ambassador the teen mental health educational program You’re Not Alone, Walker wants to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. His father dealt with bi-polar depression, did not receive help and died by suicide.
In February, Beacon College will launch an expanded study abroad program with an opportunity for neurodivergent students to extend their studies with a 12-week semester in Tokyo. Believed to offer the only semester-long global education program for students with learning and attention issues, Beacon in Tokyo will be based in a commuter suburb southwest of Tokyo. Dr. James Fleming, professor of business and technology, and Michael Fallon, instructor and coordinator of the college’s business management program, will offer classes focused on Japanese pop culture, its economy and the technology behind anime. The school first offered a study abroad program, Beacon in Tuscany, in 2017.
Fifteen principals, including Linda Bartberger, of Round Lake Charter School in Mount Dora, have been chosen to receive the principal leadership award from Florida TaxWatch, a nonprofit government watchdog and taxpayer research institute located in Tallahassee. “The program analyzes student performance data over several consecutive years, and the results are weighted to find those principals making a difference in communities that need the attention the most,” according to TaxWatch, which states, “The goal of the program is to improve student achievement in high-risk schools, thereby closing the achievement gap.”
For the nineth year, the Town of Lady Lake hosted a Mock Commission meeting with students of The Villages Charter Middle School. The event is a hands-on civics lesson with all departments, the town manager and mayor working alongside students to show them how local government works and answer their questions. A goal is to instill a sense of public service, inspire interest in the community and encourage a career in the public sector.
Caitlin Hall, of Sorrento, is one of more than 300 students who received diplomas and were recognized as Harding University graduates for fall 2023 during a commencement ceremony on Dec. 16, 2023. Hall earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology degree at the private Christian, liberal arts university located in Searcy, Arkansas.
At the same university, three local students were named to the dean’s list: Madi Hiteshew, of Mount Dora, a senior studying sport and recreation management; Ella Mast, of Sorrento, a junior studying cognitive neuroscience; and Tommy Valente, of Mount Dora, a senior studying political science.
Jan. 26, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Mark Jordan to the North Lake County Hospital District.Jordan, of Fruitland Park, owns Hangar Houseware and is a former firefighter and paramedic for the city of Leesburg. He previously served on the Leesburg Municipal Fire Pension Board. Jordan earned his associate degree from Lake-Sumter State College, a bachelor’s degree in organizational management at Warner University and his paramedic and firefighter certification from Lake Technical College.
Abigail Fleming, of Mount Dora, was named to the Cedarville University dean’s honor list for the fall 2023 semester for completing a minimum of 12 credit hours with a grade point average of at least 3.75. At the same Baptist institution, which is located in Cedarville, Ohio, Maggie Fleming, also of Mount Dora, was named to the dean’s list for the semester. To be placed on this list, a student must have a 3.5 or higher grade-point average for the semester and carry at least 12 credit hours.
Faith Taylor, of Howey-In-The-Hills, was named to the University of Rhode Island dean’s list for the fall 2023 semester. To be included on the list at the Kingston, Rhode Island, school, students must complete 12 or more credit hours and achieve at least a 3.3 quality point average.
The Lady Lake Police Department has implemented body cameras, a technology aimed at protecting both law enforcement officers and the community. After consultations with peers, Police Chief Steve Hunt discovered that many agencies in the area already had body cameras. The Town Commission supported efforts to purchase body cameras during the 2023-2024 budget process. The initiative is budgeted over five years and covers new Axon brand body cameras, upgrading outdated TASERs and introducing a dash cam system to all police vehicles this spring.
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