[naviga:h3]Vo-tech students earn recognition[/naviga:h3]

The Challenge Program Inc. distributed financial awards to seniors at Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School for excellence in five areas.

The students and their awards were Jarod Stewart for academic excellence; Ashley Frye for community service; Hunter Reep for science, technology, engineering and math; Colton Karns for attendance; and Jacob Barton for academic improvement.

XTO Energy sponsored the program at the school.

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The 65th annual Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Competition and Conference attracted 3,945 students from 220 school districts in Pennsylvania, including seven students from Butler Senior High School.

Butler’s students, advised by teacher Randall Gettens, excelled at the event.

In computer problem solving, Ben Kalberer won first place and Josh McCloskey won fourth place.

Brant Meier and David Eckersell won second place in computer network design.

Paige Lambermont placed 11th in business law.

In sports management and marketing, Hunter Scott and Harrison Weinel placed 13th.

Kalberer, McCloskey, Meier and Eckersell will compete at the national competition in Atlanta in June.

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JACKSON TWP — The Seneca Valley Choirs, grades eight to 12, recently competed in the Heritage National Music Festival in Toronto.

The 320 choir members brought home eight awards. The choirs and their awards are below:

Eighth Grade Chorus, gold; Ninth Grade Chorus, gold; 10th Grade Choral Union, gold; Show Choir, gold

Madrigal Singers, gold; Concert Choir, gold; Women’s Choir, gold; and Men’s Chorus, silver.

Seneca Valley secondary choirs are directed by teachers Aaron Magill, Bobi-Jean Alexander and Claire Barker.

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JACKSON TWP — Julia Kooser, a Seneca Valley High School junior, received first awards at both the regional and state competitions for the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science.

Her research about excessive stress hormone secretion focused on the effects of strenuous, prolonged exercise and how to minimize it.

Kooser also won the Princeton Alumni Association of Western Pennsylvania’s Sponsorship Award for her research at the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair.

Kooser and her parents attended the annual Princeton alumni dinner held at the Harvard Yale Princeton Club where she gave a brief summary of her research.