20 • Thursday, March 25, 2021
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
SCHOOLS
Hoover City Schools Recognizes 2021 Finley Award Winners
Millard Williams
Originally from Carbondale, Pennsylvania, Williams’ family came south in 1959 due to the plentiful construction opportunities in Mississippi. After graduating high school, Williams enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he was in weapons support and served on three aircraft carriers. He served for four years on active duty and two in the reserves before transitioning into civilian life. He spent nearly 30 years working with AT&T, starting at the top of a telephone pole and working his way down to a manager position in the marketing department. After substitute teaching at Spain Park High School for almost 10 years, Williams decided to go back to school and obtained a master’s degree from Samford University in 2016. He then joined the staff at Spain Park and now
Among the 150 Finley Character Award winners recognized were: left, Gabrielle Taylor (center) with Cathy Edwards and Jackie Taylor. Right, Nayu Yokomukai (center) with her parents, Nakako and Taku Yokomukai.
Crest Elementary School, then Bumpus Middle School and is now in his senior year at Hoover High School. Carter has been part of DECA and served as the junior class president. He is a member of the varsity basketball team and business academy.
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
The 26th annual Finley Awards was hosted by Hoover City Schools at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex’s Finley Center on March 18, recognizing this year’s three Finley Award winners as well as 150 Finley Character Award winners. Each year, the Robert O. Finley Committee for Character Education awards its highest honor – The Finley Award – to two graduating seniors and one Hoover City Schools employee. Finley refers to longtime W.A. Berry High School coach Bob Finley, a man known for integrity and good character, who passed away in 1994. The three Finley Award recipients are Spain Park High School Credit Recovery Instructor Millard “Buzz” Williams, Spain Park High School senior Gage Hughes and Hoover High School senior Colby Carter. Additionally, students at each grade level earn Finley Character Awards. This year, the committee named 150 character award winners.
Finley Award winners, from left, Hoover High School senior Colby Carter, Spain Park High School Credit Recovery Instructor Millard Williams and Spain Park High School senior Gage Hughes.
works in credit recovery for grades 9-12. In his personal time, he serves as a chaplain for Helena Boy Scout Troop 2 and teaches leadership training courses for the Boy Scouts. Williams has been married to his strong supporter, Carol, for 48 years. The two have six children, 15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Gage Hughes
Hughes is the son of Jason and Lesley Hughes. He attended elementary school at Shades Mountain Elementary, attended Berry Middle School and is now in his graduating year at Spain Park. At Spain Park, he has played on the football team and wrestled for all four years. Hughes has lived in Hoover his whole life, going to Shades Mountain Elementary, Berry
Middle School and now Spain Park High School. In addition to athletics, Hughes participated in Habitat for Humanity. He has been a member of the National Honor Society and is a member of the Latin National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society and Social Studies Honor Society. He also is on the Hoover City Schools Foundation Student Board and volunteers at Mountain Top Community Church, where he serves as a small group leader for the fourth and fifth grade. Upon graduation, he hopes to attend Auburn University and become a veterinarian.
Colby Carter
Carter is the son of Brent and Jill Carter and attended South Shades
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Outside of school, Carter has been part of the Riverchase United Methodist Church youth group and a member of Pro One Basketball. After graduating, Carter will attend Berry College in Rome, Georgia, where he will be playing basketball.
OTM Students Named Presidential Scholar Candidates The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program recently identified this year’s candidates for its Presidential Scholars recognition. The program was established in 1964 to recognize some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. Since then, it has been extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts, as well as ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields. Each year, more than 4,500 candidates are identified for the component of the program that focuses on academic achievement, which is based on high SAT or ACT scores. Candidates have the opportunity to become U.S. Presidential Scholars based on various paths of accomplishment and submission of a candidacy application. Candidates are evaluated by a review committee using essays, self-assessments, secondary school reports and transcripts. Students recognized as candidates in the Over the Mountain area are: The Altamont School: Amelia Neiman. Homewood High School: Madeleine Garrity, Patrick Harris, Gabriel Kertesz and M. Hugh Williams. Hoover High School: Cullen M. Blanton, Luke Clark and Ria Shah. Mountain Brook High School: Margaret Doyle, Theodore Feig, Ellis Hamilton, Laurel Hand, Ethan Shunnarah, Theodore Simonton and Brooke Smith. Oak Mountain High School: Roshni Datta and Caitlyn White. Spain Park High School: Kruthika Dheeravath, Adam Ebrahim, Uzma Issa, Zane Peacock and Duncan Selle. Vestavia Hills High School: Katy Chen, Jason Han, Joshua Kaiser, Esther Lee, Anushka Patel, Hanna Sha, Dylan Shi, Alex Stern, Ethan Wavra and Siyu Zhou.
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