Emily Redden, Brayden Welch Receive NEN Graduation Honors

Emily Redden was named Valedictorian at NEN, while Brayden Welch was named Salutatorian Sunday as 11 different NEN students bade farewell to Northeast Nodaway. Graduating Sunday were Gabriella Briney, Brea Coulter, James Lamb, Emily Redden, Cameron Staples, Brayden Welch, Taylor Coffelt, Salina Deardorff, Dylan Mildfeldt, Eli Scroggie, and Victoria Titus.

The Class Flower was the Carnation. The Class Motto was, “If the sky is the limit, why are there footprints on the moon?” The class color was white. Taylor Coffelt served as the Class President. Other officers included Brayden Welch (Vice-President), Emily Redden (Secretary), and Brea Coulter (Treasurer).

Gabriella Briney will be attending Central Christian College of the Bible and major in Christian Education. She will receive the In Focus Friday Scholarship worth $500. Taylor Coffelt will attend Northwest Missouri State and major in Elementary Education. She will receive the Alvin and Mary Luke Scholarship worth $500. Breanna Coulter will go to North Central Missouri College and receive an Associate’s Degree in Nursing. Salina Deardorff will attend North Central Missouri College and earn an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Development. James Lamb will be entering the workforce. Dylan Mildfeldt plans to work an apprenticeship as an electrician.

Emily Redden will be attending North Central Missouri College to obtain her degree as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. She will receive the Tri-C Auxiliary Scholarship ($500), the Ravenwood CBC Scholarship ($500), the Donald and Teresa Schmitz Memorial Scholarship ($500), the Northeast Nodaway CTA Scholarship ($250), the Northeast Nodaway Student Council Scholarship ($250), and the Northeast Nodaway John T. Belcher Scholarship ($200).

Eli Scroggie and Cameron Staples plan to enter the workforce. Victoria Titus plans to work as a CAN at Maryville Living Center.

Brayden Welch will attend Northwest Missouri State and major in Ag Business. He will receive the Northwest Missouri State University Academic Excellence Scholarship ($3,000), the MFA Foundation Scholarship ($2,000), the Dean Gingrich Memorial Scholarship ($1,000), the Nodaway County Cattlemen’s Association Scholarship ($500), the Alvin and Mary Luke Scholarship ($500), the Northeast Nodaway CTA Scholarship ($250), the Community Blood Center Scholarship ($250), the Northeast Nodaway Student Leadership Award ($125), and the John Barber Memorial Scholarship ($100).

Jared Freemyer, a teacher at Northeast Nodaway and a graduate of the Class of 1989, encouraged the students to be responsible. “God has given you abilities to do great things in your lives,” he said.

“You’ll find out you’re good at a lot of things.” He encouraged them to try out a lot of different things. “Don’t go through life and say, ‘I don’t know.’ Don’t say to yourself, ‘I don’t care,’” he said. “Don’t use your abilities for yourself, but for others. What we do for others is immortal.”

Salutatorian Brayden Welch said, “I hope to see each of  you giving back to your community. If you get down, don’t stay down, but get back up. Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react.”

Valedictorian Emily Redden encouraged her classmates to enjoy time with friends and family and that without support from her family, she would not have been where she is today.