By Ralph K. Spencer, D’Evelyn Education Foundation Board of Directors I wrote the following article for the Jaguar Tracks seven years ago and, upon recent reflection, decided to reprint it in this current edition of the Tracks. Why bother, you ask? I thought it would serve as a good reminder of what the Jamin Fund, a 501(c)(3) entity, has accomplished at D'Evelyn since its 2007 inception. The first Jamin B. Wilson Excellence in Education cash awards were presented to teachers Janet Shibly, Vocal Music, and Chris Baker, Social Studies, at the 2008 Senior Banquet. Over the last 12 years, $50,000 in cash awards have been presented to 20 D'Evelyn teachers, two Asst. Principals, and one Jr. High Counselor! Additionally, last year's Senior Banquet was the first year in which the $1,000 Jamin B. Wilson Life-Long Learner Memorial Scholarship was presented to graduating senior Marc Gagnon. Private donations by Jamin's friends and family over the years has ensured that a permanent source of funds will be available for both the Excellence in Education award for D'Evelyn community members and the Life-Long Learner Memorial Scholarship for D'Evelyn seniors. What a great tribute to an outstanding young man who was taken from us way too soon. It is said that out of great tragedy can come much good. I believe the Jamin Fund exemplifies this statement. Please take a moment to read the following 7-year old article and then stop in the Main Office at D'Evelyn and take a look at what I like to call A Touch of Class. I hope you enjoy it! Please take a moment to walk into D’Evelyn’s main office in the next few days, look 45 degrees to your right, and spend a minute or two admiring a new print (and an informative plaque) that adorns the north wall. This classy addition to the main office was the gift of Charlie Wilson, a member of the DEF Board of Directors, and the father of Jamin B. (J.B.) Wilson, a 1999 D’Evelyn graduate. J.B. took the original photograph of an elegant mountain skyline with some of his D’Evelyn buddies in Switzerland where he was serving as a 2LT in the U.S. Air Force. Following J.B.’s untimely 2006 death in a tragic automobile accident in Germany, artist/family friend/former D’Evelyn parent Renee Palmer-Jones rendered J.B.’s photo into a beautiful painting she named Jamin’s Vision. D’Evelyn Jr./Sr. High School has graciously accepted this print of the original painting from the Jamin Fund, a tax-exempt fund established in 2007 by J.B.’s family, in memory of their beloved son. Since the plaque was donated by yet another DEF Board member, the entire D’Evelyn community will be able to enjoy this beautiful “touch of class” for years to come at no expense to DEF or the school. By Ralph K. Spencer, D’Evelyn Education Foundation Board of Directors I recently met (10/8/19 @ 6:30 pm) with many of the parents of this year's D'Evelyn seniors to let them know the ins and outs of the school's Scholarship and Award program. For those parents who could not make this meeting, and for those parents who DID attend but did not remember every little thing I said, I am writing this article to highlight the most important points of my presentation.
I will be writing additional articles on the topic of D'Evelyn scholarships and awards in future editions of the Jaguar Tracks. I hope you will take a few minutes to learn more about this incredible program and, if you have specific questions, please direct them to the Jaguar Tracks Editor, [email protected]. I know Fernanda will not hesitate to forward your questions on to me!!! By Ralph K. Spencer, D’Evelyn Education Foundation Board of Directors
The annual Senior Banquet, held on May 15, 2019, at the Sheraton Denver West Hotel, was a very special event for all D’Evelyn seniors. After all, D’Evelyn students can only attend one senior high school banquet in their lifetime to bask in the glow of their achievements over the last 4/6 years. As everyone knows, graduating from D’Evelyn is a significant achievement! Allow me to summarize below the 25 senior scholarships/award presentations (worth almost $24,000!) made that night, not only to honor our graduated seniors, but also to recognize two D’Evelyn teachers who each claimed prestigious awards. Emily Carver - Performing Arts Scholarship for Orchestra - $1,000 Megan Yost - Performing Arts Scholarship for Choral/Vocal - $1,000 Vivian Nguyen - Carol J. Mancuso Music Scholarship - $500 Daniel Brady - JAGS Athletic Scholarship -$1,000 Ian Widmann - LeAnne Hollemans Roscow Award - $1,500 Dominic Cushnie - David S. D'Evelyn Scholarship - $1,000 Kendyll Gromko - Rona Burrows Scholarship - $500 Cecilia Leoni - Marta Vigil Scholarship for Excellence in a Foreign Language - $1,000 Sebastian Coco - Performing Arts Scholarship for Theater - $1,000 Emily Smith - Excellence in History Scholarship - $1,000 Shiloh Miller - Carolyn G. DeRaad Scholarship - $1,000 Brady Sullivan - Dr. Peter Silvaggio Physics Scholarship - $600 Victoria Szathmary - JAGS Athletic Scholarship - $1,000 Amanda Giedt - Excellence Amidst Adversity Scholarship - $1,000 Rory Devin - Excellence in Mathematics Scholarship - $1,000 Isabel Lopez - Performing Arts Scholarship for Band - $1,000 Laryssa Hamblen - Academic Opportunity Scholarship - $1,000 Tonia Hajj - Academic Opportunity Scholarship - $1,000 Favio Acosta - William R. and Helen J. Dowdle Scholarship - $250 Hannah Erickson - Excellence in English Scholarship - $1,000 Claire Madonna - Kathi Pitzer Scholarship - $1,000 Marc Gagnon - Jamin B. Wilson Life-Long Learner Memorial Scholarship - $1,000 Alan Li - David S. D'Evelyn Scholarship - $1,000 Emma Kurtz - Carla S. (Pedersen) Zarkowski Memorial Scholarship - $1,500 Conor Sampson - Andrew Jenicek Memorial Award - $1,000 Grand Total: $23,850! Two D'Evelyn teachers were presented with cash awards at this year's Senior Banquet: Joel Jacobson - Jamin B. Wilson Excellence in Education Award - $3000 (funded by private donations; does NOT include funds raised by the D'Evelyn Education Foundation) Rush Daly - 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year - $250 (voted upon by D'Evelyn seniors) Please take a moment to congratulate the parents (some of whom are still at D’Evelyn) of the above scholarship/award winners the next time you see them as well as the two faculty members whose names can also be found engraved on two special plaques in the school’s front lobby. |
The D'Evelyn Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation. The Board of Directors oversees the finances, legal issues and long-term strategic plans of the organization Archives
May 2023
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