Area students compete in academic contest

More than 30 area high school students had a chance to show their skills in a variety of subjects during an academic competition earlier this month at Independence Community College.

More than 20 Uniontown Junior Senior High School students and five Fort Scott High School students qualified to participate in the competition, which took place March 4. In the contest, students take exams testing their knowledge in a wide range of subjects including art, math, geography and computers.

The students were nominated by teachers in their respective school districts based on outstanding student academic performance in certain subjects during the school year, officials said.

UJSHS students (from left) Char Bradbury, Shelby Vender, Jamie Shank and Riley Stephens pose with some of the artwork that they completed during a recent academic competition in Independence. Bradbury received first place honors for her painting based on a photograph called 'The Greatest Game.'

"They have to do well academically and in class," UJSHS business teacher Lois Wright, who accompanied students on the trip, said.

The nine UJSHS students who competed and placed in the competition include Travis Aikens, who won first place in basic algebra; Silas Bloesser, who won third place in physics and first place in pre-calculus; Char Bradbury, who won first place in painting; Lacey Page, who won second place in the feature photo category; Taylor Rathbun, who won first place in keyboarding II; Koltan Schaaf, a journalism competitor who won second place in columns and first place in sports stories; Abbie Smith, who won second place in basic algebra and third place in Spanish II; Jacob Sutterby, who won fifth place in world regional geography; and Cody Tinsley, who won third place in human development and fifth place in spelling.

The five FSHS students who competed include Matt Allison, who won third place in U.S. history and second place in world geography, Daniel Lyon, who competed in the filing category, Catherine Sercer, who won third place in pencil-only drawing, and first place in drawing, except pencil, Leah Casselman, who competed in the New Testament history category, and Shelby Fleming, who competed in the pencil and all other two-dimensional drawing category.

Students who placed in the competition earned medals and ribbons and also added accomplishments that can look attractive to prospective employers once students begin pursuing career options, Wright said.

"It certainly looks good on resumes and job applications," she said.

Bloesser, a senior at UJSHS, said he enjoyed participating in the competition, although he was a bit nervous going into his test because of the large number of students he encountered in the testing area.

"There were quite a few people in that room," he said. "You always wonder how you're going to place with that many people there."

Bradbury, another UJSHS senior, said she received first place honors in the competition for a painting she completed based on a photograph she obtained from a freshman literature book. The painting, called "The Greatest Game," was created using modeling paste so the image "stands out on the canvas," Bradbury said.

Bradbury added that she was honored to see her work recognized at the annual competition, which involves many other students from high schools across Southeast Kansas.

"I think third was the highest I had placed before," she said. "It's always neat when your work is appreciated."