A number of students from the Butler County Vocational-Technical School competed in the 2012 state Skills USA competition in Hershey.

Here is a list of the students, their grade, home school and competition category placing.

Luke Jackman, senior, Butler, first place cabinetmaking.

Justin Sapar, senior, Butler, first place computer maintenance technology.

Luke and Justin will compete at the National SkillsUSA Competition June 23 to 27 in Kansas City, Mo.

Brandon Bauer, senior, Butler, third place precision machine technology.

Amanda Spack, senior, Butler, fourth place advertising design.

Forrest Bronder, senior, Butler, fourth place plumbing.

Dillon Ellwood, senior, Butler; Dylan Freiters, senior, Karns City; Daniel Kiser, junior, Karns City; and Michael McPherson, senior, Butler, fifth place team works.

Gabe Drane, senior, Knoch, sixth place residential/construction wiring.

Kevin McCollough, senior, Butler, sixth place diesel equipment technology.

Zach Zediker, senior, Butler, sixth place first aid/CPR.

Melissa Poloka, senior, Slippery Rock, seventh place health professional portfolio.

Lance Hinton, senior, Butler, seventh place heavy equipment.

Kyle Hasychak, senior, Butler and Luke Nelson, junior, Knoch, eighth place sheet metal.

Tori Verner, senior, Karns City, 10th place commercial baking.

Scholarships awarded to 9 peopleScholarships were awarded to the following grandchildren of Butler Memorial Hospital Nurses Alumni Members:Courtney Zarnick, granddaughter of Jean Morrow and Jean Zarnick; Amanda Rider, granddaughter of Dorothy Thompson; Joseph Mort, grandson of Janet Kaltwasser; Heather Gillespie, granddaughter of Eleanor Douthett; Rebecca Weaver, granddaughter of Karen Wehr; Jordan Cook, grandson of Shirley Fox; Daniel Lammie, grandson of Loretta Burke; Kassandra Kniess, granddaughter of Sandra Kniess; and Colin McKee, grandson of the late Jane Lea McKee.

Students inducted into Mortar BoardErin Jeuther of Valencia, Elizabeth Kurn of Sarver and Jacob Pflugh of Butler have been inducted into the Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society at Indiana (Pa.) University.Jeuther, the daughter of Carol Jeuther and Dennis Jeuther, is a 2009 graduate of Mars High School. She is an art education major and a provost scholar at IUP.Kurn, the daughter of Tim and Lori Kurn, is a 2009 graduate of Freeport High School. She is a speech language pathology major and dean’s list recipient at IUP.Pflugh, the son of Donald and Ann Pflugh, is a 2007 graduate of Butler Senior High School. He is an economics major and dean’s list recipient at IUP.

County residents earn recognitionSaint Francis University gave awards to the following students from Butler County:Quinn Pendred of Renfrew received the Dorothy Day Center Award.Calley Bridges of Prospect received the Armond A. Manfredi Jr. Award in marketing.Lisa Moser of Mars received the Gunard B. Carlson Memorial Foundation Saint Francis University Creative Writing Contest second prize.Elisha Fleig of Cranberry Township received the Orientation Counselors award.Madeline Campbell of Mars received the Order of Omega National Leadership Honor Society award.———Valerie Rodgers of Fenelton will study in Beijing, China, for a four-week summer study program before beginning an internship with the Bank of New York Mellon.Rodgers is the daughter of George and Kathleen Rodgers.She is a dean’s list international business/business marketing major with a minor in economics at Duquesne University.———Austin Shay of Butler was selected to participate in the 2012 Ag Discovery program at Virginia State University.The summer program gives students experience in the disciplines of veterinary science and food safety under the “Farm-to-Table” theme. ———Jacob Smith of Sligo has won a National Merit Scholarship from the University of Texas at Dallas.He is a senior at Venango Catholic High School in Venango County.Jacob, who plans to pursue a career in medicine, is one of 2,500 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities. The winners were announced Wednesday by the National Merit Scholarship Corp., Evanston, Ill.The awards provide students $500 to $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.———Butler County Community College student Michael Dreher won first place and $500 in the Advance PA video contest put on by the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.Students were asked to submit videos and share their stories to show support of community colleges across the commonwealth.———Evan Kowalski, a Butler resident who is studying at the United States Military Academy, is among 14 cadets and midshipmen from the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy chosen by the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation to participate in the Center’s American Service Academies Program.Through participating in the program, the cadets and midshipmen will learn how to examine history, become an ambassador of ethical behavior and take responsibility for upholding these values as a future military leader.———Taylor Shaffer of Karns City and Luke King of Valencia will serve as advisers for Gannon University’s Summer Orientation program.Shaffer is the daughter of Phillip and Brenda Shaffer. She is a graduate of Moniteau High School and is a sophomore accounting major.King is the son of Lisa King. He is a graduate of Mars High School and is a junior biology/pre-medicine major.