On the first Sunday in May, as flowers bloomed and the sun smiled high in the sky, families flocked to the Toledo Reinig Center for the annual AAUW Young Women of the Year event. The local Tama-Toledo branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) held a nice ceremony celebrating twenty-four South Tama and Meskwaki Settlement students. Eight girls from 6th, 7th, and 8th grades were selected to be honored for demonstrating academic excellence. The 24 students were selected by their teachers for such an honor.

The annual event hosts approximately 100 family members of the honorees, as well as their teachers. Those in attendance ate lunch at the buffet before the awards ceremony kicked off, and the AAUW members presented the students with their certificates.

This year’s honorees for 6th grade are: Sydney Eisentrager Math/ STC, Anna Ahrens Social Studies/ STC, Scarlett Welsh Science/ STC, Grace Bolen Literacy/ STC, Josephine Furcap Math/ MSS, Kattleya Zavala Social Studies/ MSS, Taylan Youngbear Science/ MSS and Emma Roberts Literacy/ MSS.

This year’s honorees for 7th grade are: Damaris Garcia-Fuentes Math/ STC, Sophia Holven Social Studies/ STC, Kenley Koster Science/ STC, Bralynn Rohrs Literacy/ STC, Paisley Lasley Math/ MSS, Mila Walker Social Studies/ MSS, Tayevia Dupris Science/ MSS and Nikkita Woody Literacy/ MSS.

This year’s honorees for 8th grade are: Talia Ramon-Castro Math/ STC, Trinity Turner Social Studies/ STC, Alondra Garcia Science/ STC, Kendra Svacina Literacy/ STC, Jasmine Quist Math/ MSS, Romy Buffalo Social Studies/ MSS, Ciera Youngbear Science/ MSS and Miley Perez Literacy/ MSS.