The Take Stock in Children program, which is statewide and is conducted in our county by FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools, recently had its annual graduation and induction ceremony. The program has set criteria for selection and for students to follow during their high-school career, and in turn offers each student a Bright Futures Scholarship upon completion of high school.

Local graduates this year are Alayiah Vance of DeLand High; Jazmin Garcia, Ashley Mahadeo, Jacob McIntyre and Allison Pantoja, all of Pine Ridge High in Deltona; Linda Aviles, Jayda Baker and Brian Ford, all of Taylor Middle-High in Pierson; and Adrianna Luciano of University High in Orange City.

Eighth-graders accepted into the program and the high schools they will be attending include Justin Burns and Malik Langhorne at DeLand High; Ethan Gutierrez and Caylee Rodriguez at Pine Ridge High in Deltona; Abby Ballado, Amber Bishoff and Ava Inestra at Taylor Middle-High in Pierson; and Emma Bowers and Natalia Castillo Acosta at University High in Orange City.

The DeLeon Springs Community Association Inc. presented scholarships to Lainey Metts and Moises Denova during the Taylor Middle-High School Awards Ceremony. Each received a $1,000 DSCA Inc. Merit Scholarship.

Metts will attend the University of South Florida, while Denova will attend the University of Central Florida.

Now that the 2022-23 school year is over, it’s time for final report cards. Grades for elementary-school students will be on the Parent Portal beginning June 13, but the middle- and high-school dates have not been set.

Volusia County Schools

Volusia County Schools has announced the retirement of Rose Roland, Carolyn Carbonell, Ramonita Ortiz, Susan Tuten and Melissa Haubrich from administrative positions. District personnel transfers have been announced, with Patty Corr going to Student Services as assistant superintendent; Gabe Berrio becoming secondary assistant superintendent for grades six-12; Aria Haire becoming assistant principal at Woodward Avenue Elementary School; and Thomas Allard becoming Choice and Charter Specialist.

Principal transfers for the West Volusia area include Tracy Buckner from Cypress Creek Elementary to Sunrise Elementary in Deltona; Alicia Douglas from Enterprise Elementary to Manatee Cove Elementary in Orange City; Carlos Scott from Friendship Elementary in Deltona to Coronado Elementary; Virginia Freeman from Forest Lake Elementary in Deltona to Orange City Elementary; Charlie Bynum from Orange City Elementary to Pine Trail Elementary; Michelle Sojka from Pine Trail Elementary to Forest Lake Elementary; Libby Johnson from Pride Elementary in Deltona to Enterprise Elementary; Carrie Devaney from Spirit Elementary in Deltona to South Daytona Elementary; Eilene Ahr from Starke Elementary in DeLand to Pride Elementary; and Laura Figueroa from Sugar Mill Elementary to Spirit Elementary in Deltona.

The 2023-25 Principal Preparation Program Cohort has also been announced. Those in West Volusia going into the program will be Joselyn Baker at George Marks Elementary in DeLand, Ben Carter at University High in Orange City, Chelsea Cinkosky at Orange City Elementary, Corrine Cobb at DeBary Elementary, Melissa Fratus at River Springs Middle in Orange City, Dr. Christina Lapnow at Deltona High, Kemisha Rainge at DeLand Middle, Pamela Robinson at Heritage Middle in Deltona, Melissa Shaw at Volusia Online, Dr. Tai Swift at Galaxy Middle in Deltona, and Alisha Zarbo at DeLand High.

DeLand High School

It is hoped that on Memorial Day many of you witnessed the DeLand High School Bulldog Marching Band in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. The Bulldog Band represented the state of Florida in the parade and was nominated by the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeLand High School Athletics

The DeLand High School cross-country teams held their annual awards ceremony, with Maggie Schricker and Riley Garrison being named the Most Valuable Runner; Sydney Bordeaux receiving the Newcomer Award; Macy Sigman and Rainy Gannon getting the Coaches’ Award; and Madi Mandell and Sydney Neira winning Senior Honors.

Boys gaining team honors were Dominick Velazquez with the Coaches’ Award, and James Gannon and Liam Winegardner with Senior Awards.

Jim Lowenstein and Chris Madzik served as the coaches this past season.

The DHS bowling teams had their third annual Bulldog Bowling Fundraiser, sponsored by Georgia Avenue Hair Company, Page Insurance Agency and Sunshine Bowling Center. The winning team, which won by more than 300 pins, was composed of Michael Hamilton, Jared Kanupp, David Kanupp and Chris Quinones. The Bulldog teams raised more than $3,000.

The DeLand High weightlifting teams will have summer conditioning noon-2 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, June 5-15 and June 19-July 29.

Kylie Neira, a sophomore pole-vaulter at DHS, won the state 4A championship with a vault of 3.75 meters (12 feet, 3.5 inches), which bettered all classes in the FHSAA Track and Field Championships. Chris Boyle of The Daytona Beach News-Journal also noted that Neira is the first girl in Volusia County to win the pole vault since Elaine Drevitson of Deltona High, who did so back in 1999. By winning the event, Neira is named to the First Team All-State.

Deltona High School

The Deltona High School Lady Wolf softball team has earned the honor of being the FHSAA state softball team runner-up in the 5A Division. The Lady Wolves defeated South Fork, 5-1, in the semifinal game, but lost to Parrish Community, 5-0, in the state championship game.

In the semifinal game, Sophie Strempel hit a home run, while Payton Woerner and Morgan Davis (2) hit doubles. The team closed out the 2023 season with a 22-5 record.

University High School

Daksh Talati, who plays tennis for University High School in Orange City, has been nominated by The Daytona Beach News-Journal as one of the Volusia, Flagler and St. Johns counties All-Area players.

Stetson University

Roberto Garcia is the new campus Catholic minister on the Stetson University campus.

The following Stetson professors have retired with the end of the spring semester: Mary Jane Christeson, M.M., professor of music, voice; Barbara Costello, M.L.S., associate professor, government documents and research librarian; Thomas Farrell, Ph.D., Ollie Edmunds Professor, and assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Tandy Grubbs, Ph.D., professor of chemistry, Chemistry Department chair; Craig Maddox, D.M., associate professor of music, voice; Thomas Masse, D.M., professor of music, former dean; Mitchell Reddish, Ph.D., O.L. Walker Professor of Christian Studies, chair of religious studies; David Schmidt, M.M., associate professor of music; Ramee Indralingam, Ph.D., professor of chemistry; and Andrew Larson, D.M.A., professor of music, choral conducting and associate dean in the School of Music.

Stetson University Athletics

The Stetson University Hatter baseball team defeated Eastern Kentucky in the first round of the ASUN Tournament on the Conrad Park field, 8-3, with David Bermudez hitting one out of the park. The Hats then lost to Jacksonville State, 6-1, then turned around with a victory over Austin Peay, 12-3, in which Christian Pregent and Brandon Hylton hit home runs.

The Stetson men’s tennis program has added Eder Blanco to its roster. He is a transfer from North Carolina A&T and resides in Madrid, Spain.

Stetson football Hall of Famer Donald Payne currently is playing pro ball with the XFL Arlington Renegades. The Renegades won the XFL Championship over the DC Defenders, 35-26. Payne had seven total tackles in the championship game.

The Hatter men’s golf team played in the inaugural National Golf Invitational Tournament in Maricopa, Arizona. The Hats tied for fourth with Ball State, with a 859 score. Texas State won the title with a 857, followed by Wyoming and Penn State, who tied for second at 858. Also playing in the tournament were Arkansas State, Washington State, Oral Roberts, Troy, Utah Valley, George Washington University, Santa Clara and Valparaiso.

College honors

Mark Leavitt, of DeLand, has been named to the dean’s list for the spring 2023 semester at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York.

Tyler Harrison, of DeBary, has been named to the President’s Honor Roll for the spring 2023 semester at Bismarck State College in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Toby Fath, a freshman from Deltona, has been named to the dean’s list for the spring semester at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio.

Aidan Sharkey, of DeLand, has graduated with a Bachelor of Science in automotive restoration – design from McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas.

Brodgie Gordon, of DeLand, has graduated from Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio.

— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.