Alaska Youth Military Academy graduates first 2004 class

The Alaska Military Youth Academy recently graduated its first class in 2004, which includes Valley students.

The academy includes students who live a military lifestyle for more than five months. The 94-person graduating class contributed more than 12,000 hours of community service to Southcentral Alaska, organizers said.

"The young men and women who graduated have successfully completed more than five months at the most demanding school in Alaska," said Tim Jones, the academy director. "They gave up television, music, individual hairstyles and traditional teen-age social lives. The graduates have worked hard for everything they received here and each one carried the honor across the stage."

The graduates were -- Ray Barnes, Albert Bates, Jorden Bishop, Jason Borouth, Arlo Boyle, Federica Brame, Joseph Brown, Desmond Burton, Fatimah Butler, Kory Carlyle, Michael Childs, Elizabeth Cleveland, Justin Cosson, Brian Cozzetti, James Cunningham, Alex Davis, Wayson Dudoit, Richard Ellis, Cheryl Evans, Jonathan Farley, Robert Feddersen, Pascal Felder, Ian Fleming, Robert Flood, Pulalasi Fonomaitu, Lavinia Fonua, Reginald Franklin, Michael Goerdt, Tyler Green, Adam Griffin, Christopher Gucker, Wylie Guy, Spencer Halpaus, George Hegedus, Lance Hilliard, Jerome Himmel, William Holder, Tara Howard, Patrick Hunsberger, Peter Jackson, Timothy James, Zoya Jenkins, Janice Johnson, Milo Johnson-Vukasin, William Keeter, Uriah Keith, Anny Khanthachack, Nicolas Kothe, John Lambert, Matthew Lata, Kyle Locke, Shenya Lopez, Xien Mai, Joe Matha, Cassandra McKibbon, Daryn Mitchell, Sunny Murguia, Michael Myers, Tyler Norman, Sean O'Callahan, Terance Ousley, Dakota Pederson, Phokham Phaymany, Douglas Pitka, Allen Pool, Nathaniel Pope, Meaghan Price, Nicholas Reed, Nikolas Rhoades, Joseph Ruedy, Cameron Ryan, Ashley Saupe, William Sayles, Robert Schachle, Ivan Schoolcraft, Joel Simpson, Otis Sipary, Jedediah Smith, Don Starrs, Sherlyn Stowers, Nakita Tafao, Travis Tovar, Brenda Tuzroyluke, Miracle Ulises, Steve Vang, Xou Vang, Evan Vickrey, Matthew Wheeler, Russel Williams, Jerad Worrell, Joshua Yang, Yee Yang, Erica Young.

Wasilla student earns national recognition

AMBER SAWYER, of Wasilla, was recently selected to participate in the National Student Leadership Conference in the Lower 48.

During the conference, Sawyer and other students attend special workshops and classes, where they study distinctions of leadership.

Palmer student graduates from WSU

JOHN BISHOP, of Palmer, recently graduated from Washington State University. Bishop graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in history.