Whitko seniors received awards, honors and scholarships during the high school’s annual awards program Thursday evening, May 14.
Held in the gymnasium this year, Superintendent Dr. Amy Korus announced the awards, the award recipients and the award representatives before family and friends.
“Tonight is one of the most meaningful celebrations of the school year,” Korus said. “as we come together to recognize the hard work, leadership and accomplishments of our students. These students have demonstrated excellence, not only academically, also through their character, perseverance and commitment to Whitko and our communities.”
More than 40 scholarships were presented from universities, foundations, organizations, businesses, families and individuals who believe in investing in students.
The Class of 2026 honors and scholarship award winners are:
Alena Hindbaugh – Steel Dynamics Scholarship, Academic Honors, Top 10%, Whitko Classroom Teachers Association Scholarship; Whitko Scholarship Fund
Alex Platt, Alexus Craun, Brooklyn Thomas, Caden Abbott, Kalli Hapner, Kendal Bollinger, Luis Anaya, Sophie Augustus – Blood Drive Cords
Alivia Anderson – Academic and Technical Honors; Indiana Core Certificates, Ivy Tech
Caden Deneve – Mick Bishop Award
Caitlin Beer – Indiana Core Certificates, Ivy Tech, Top 10%
Carmin Gayheart – Indiana Core Certificates, Ivy Tech, Academic and Technical Honors, Whitko Scholarship Fund
Caspian Love – Academic and Technical Honors, Blood Drive Cords
Catherine Deckena – Academic Honors
Caylee Clark – Blood Drive Cords, Ernie Lee Wallen Memorial Scholarship, Whitko Scholarship Fund, Delta Theta Tau – Theta Kappa Chapter, Cleveland Township Fire Department
Ella Thomas – Academic Honors, Top 10%; Indiana Core Certificates, Ivy Tech, Semper Fidelis Award, Pierceton Chamber Scholarship
Ethan Yates – Academic and Technical Honors; Ed Pequignot Award, Ted and Loretta Easterday Legacy Award, Distinguished Athlete Award, Justin Hostetler Award, Whitko Scholarship Fund, Steven L Sickafoose Memorial Scholarship, Cleveland Township Fire Department
Grace Burnworth – Academic and Technical Honors, Blood Drive Cords, South Whitley Community Facilities, Whitko Classroom Teachers Association Scholarship, Justin Hostetler
Grace Shoemaker – Blood Drive Cords, Max and Kathryn Beigh Educational Endowment Fund
Hannah Moore – Pierceton Chamber Scholarship; Ernie Lee Wallen Memorial Scholarship, Homer J. Shoop Memorial Scholarship; Larwill Lions Scholarship; Justin Hostetler Scholarship, Whitko Scholarship Fund; Pierceton American Legion Auxiliary Scholarship
Jacob Forshtay – Marine Corps
Jessica Kajune – DeMoney Grimes Life Science; South Whitley Community Facilities; Simon and Donna Dragan Scholarship; Orizon Real Estate/Ducks Unlimited; SRC Scholarship; Justin Hostetler
Kira Sordelet – Salutatorian, Top 10%; Academic Honors, Indiana Core Certificates, Ivy Tech, Ted Eugene & Mary Alice Long Award, Blood Drive Cords, Steel Dynamics Scholarship
Landon Smith – Technical Honors, Eppelmann Family Memorial Scholarship
Lillian Coil – Technical Honors; Indiana Core Certificate and Associate’ in Criminal Justice
Lillie Sickafoose – Valedictorian; Top 10%; Indiana Core Certificates, Ivy Tech; Academic and Technical Honors, Scholastic Excellence Award, Active Impact Scholarship, Keystone Cooperative Scholarship; Whitley County Farm Bureau Scholarship; B.V. and Flossie Widney Memorial Scholarship; Gene C. Carter Memorial Scholarship; Philip and Leta Shriver Scholarship; Ag Plus Craig Sherbahn Annual Memorial Scholarship; Whitko Scholarship Fund; LuAnn Warner Memorial
Reese Stonebraker – Top 10%; Academic and Technical Honors, Ted & Loretta Easterday Legacy Award; Tenney Family Scholarship; Pierceton Chamber Scholarship; Whitko Scholarship Fund
Ryan Rose – Top 10%; Academic Honors; Indiana Core Certificates, Ivy Tech
Taylor Long – Top 10%; Academic and Technical Honors, Homer J. Shoop Memorial Scholarship; Justin Hostetler Scholarship; Whitko Scholarship Fund
A Marine presented a sash of Marine Corps enlistment to Jacob Forshtay.Tom Warner presented the Cleveland Township Fire Department’s Jeff Sammons and Duane Loe Memorial scholarships to Caylee Clark and Ethan Yates.Tom Warner presented the LuAnn Warner Memorial Scholarship to Lillie Sickafoose.Jami Platt presented the Delta Theta Tau Sorority Scholarship to Caylee Clark.Bernadine Boggs, left, and Debra Wilkinson, far right, presented Whitko Scholarship Funds to Caylee Clark, Carmin Gayheart, Alaina Hindbaugh, Taylor Long, Hannah Moore, Lillie Sickafoose, Reese Stonebraker and Ethan Yates.Receiving Justin Hostetler Memorial Scholarships were Ethan Yates, Grace Burnworth, Hannah Moore and Taylor Long.Kyra Gibson, left, and Hannah Moore, right, received Larwill Lions Club Scholarships, presented by Rex Elder.Grace Burnworth, Kyra Gibson, Sally Meyer and Alena Hindbaugh received Whitko Classroom Teachers Association Scholarships.WJSHS Principal Kathy Longenbaugh presents Homer J. Shoop Memorial Scholarships to Hannah Moore and Taylor Long.Lewis Collier presented the Ernie Lee Wallen Memorial Scholarship to Lillian Coil, Caylee Clark, and Hannah Moore.Reese Stonebraker, Ella Thomas and Hannah Moore received the Pierceton Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Georgia Tenney.Georgia Tenney, Whitko School Board member, presented the Tenney Family Scholarship to Reese Stonebraker.Maudie Sickafoose presented the Steven L. Sickafoose Memorial Scholarship to Ethan Yates.Sam St. Clair of the Whitley County Community Foundation presented the B.V. and Flossie Widney Memorial; the Gene C. Carter Memorial and the Phillip and Leta Shriver scholarships to Lillie Sickafoose.
Sam St. Clair of the Whitley County Community Foundation presented the South Whitley Community Facilities scholarship to Grace Burnworth.Megan Rawles presents the Whitley County Farm Bureau Scholarship to Lillie Sickafoose.Kira Sordelet, left, and Alana Hindbaugh, right, received the Steel Dynamics Scholarship from Doug Blomeve.Brian Beeber presents the Keystone Cooperative scholarship to Lillie Sickafoose.Sophie Augustus presented Lillie Sickafoose with the HANDS Active Impact Scholarship.Micah Slabach of HANDS presented Sophie Augustus with a senior HANDS sash.WJSHS Principal Kathy Longenbaugh presents the Marine Corps Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence to Ella Thomas.WJSHS Principal Kathy Longenbaugh presents the Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award to Lillie Sickafoose.WJSHS Principal Kathy Longenbaugh presents the Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award to Ethan Yates.Red cords were presented to Grace Burnworth, Kendall Bollinger, Sophie Augustus, Caylee Clark, Kalli Hapner, Luis Anaya, Alexus Craun, Alex Platt, Caspian Love and Kira Sordelet for their blood donations to the American Red Cross.Kenna Hull presented the Craig Sherbahn Memorial Ag Plus Scholarship to Lillie Sickafoose.
Landon Smith received the Eppelmann Family Memorial Scholarship from Athletic Director Drew Benedict.The Ted and Loretta Easterday Legacy Awards were presented to Reese Stonebraker, Ethan Yates and Taylor Long by Athletic Director Drew Benedict.Athletic Director Drew Benedict presents the Ted Eugene and Mary Alice Long Award to Kira Sordelet.Athletic Director Drew Benedict presents the Ed Pequignot Award to Ethan Yates.WJSHS Principal Kathy Longenbaugh stands with Lillian Coil who earned an Ivy Tech associate’s degree.Green cords were presented to Ivy Tech Indiana College Core recipients: from left, Ella Thomas, Caitlin Beer, Carmin Gayheart, Sally Meyer, Kira Sordelet, Lilllie Sickafoose and Ryan Rose.Whitko High School’s top academically ranked 10-percent of the Class of 2026 are, from left, Kira Sordelet, Alaina Hindbaugh, Ella Thomas, Caitlin Beer, Reese Stonebraker, Taylor Long, Lillie Sickafoose and Ryan Rose.This year’s Academic and Technical Honors Diploma recipients are, from left, Reese Stonebrake, Grace Burnworth, Taylor Long, Lillie Sickafoose, Ethan Yates, Carmine Gayheart and Caspian Love.Receiving Academic Honors Diploma gold cords are, from left, Ella Thomas, Kyra Gibson, Kira Sordelet, Alaina Hindbaugh, Sally Meyer and Ryan Rose.Landon Smith and Lillian Coil receive white cords representing their Technical Honors Diplomas.WJSHS Principal Kathy Longenbaugh congratulates 2026 salutatorian Kira Sordelet.WJSHS Principal Kathy Longenbaugh congratulates 2026 valedictorian Lillie Sickafoose.WJSHS Principal Kathy Longenbaugh presents the Pierceton American Legion Auxiliary Scholarship to Hannah Moore.
