23 to graduate Friday night at Deer

Staff Photo/Lynn Blevins
The Class of 2007 valedictorians and salutatorian will be honored at Deer High School graduation exercises May 25. Class of 2007 valedictorians and salutatorian are (from left to right) Rance Carlton, valedictorian; Nicole Martin, valedictorian; Justin Clayborn, salutatorian; Kimberly Curtis, valedictorian; Kodi Ammons Vanderpool, valedictorian; and Michaela McClelland, valedictorian.

EDITOR S NOTE: This is the sixteenth in a series of stories and pictures of area high school valedictorians and salutatorians.

By LYNN BLEVINS
Times Staff lynnb@commpub.com

DEER Deer High School officials have announced that commencement exercises for graduating seniors will be at 8 p.m. Friday, May 25 at Deer School Gymnasium. The Class of 2007 includes 23 graduates. Kodi Vanderpool, Kimberly Curtis, Michaela McClelland, Nicole Martin and Rance Carlton are Deer High School Class of 2007 valedictorians and Justin Clayborn is Class of 2007 salutatorian.

Kodi Vanderpool
Artistic, compassionate, active, health-nut, comical
Kodi Ammons Vanderpool is Deer High School Class of 2007 valedictorian. The son of Tammy and Joseph Vanderpool is a member of FBLA, BETA club, FCCLA and the drama club.
Vanderpool is moving to the Springfield, Mo. area in June. He will use his recent certification for personal fitness training to put himself through massage therapy school at PMTC in Springfield. After graduation he plans to work in the Springfield area and build up his clientelle. His professional goals include owning a health spa.
Vanderpool enjoys singing, photography, writing, art and most of all, eating way too much; believe me, that is a hobby and a talent! He is an avid fan of dancing and various forms of exercise, especially outdoors. If he had to design a Web site about himself and his life, it would be called The Blessing That is My Life. It would have daily devotions and would be open for discussion and help, in the ways that he could, for others. Two things his friends would be surprised to learn are that he prays for all of them every night and that he prays that they try their hardest to achieve all of their goals and reach all of their dreams.
Honestly, I did not have a favorite teacher. Each teacher had their own unique qualities that made them unforgettable, however, a group of ladies did brighten my day, every day that I worked for them. They were so uplifting and caring. I will never forget and will always love the lunch ladies and Mrs. Loreshia.
- Kodi Vanderpool

Kimberly Curtis
Easy-going, smart, trustworthy, dedicated, cautious
Kimberly Curtis is Deer High School Class of 2007 valedictorian. The daughter of Charles and Barbara Curtis is a member of FCCLA, BETA club, the senior girls basketball team, drama club and Spanish club.
Curtis has been awarded the Valedictorian Scholarship and the Carroll Electric Scholarship. She plans to attend Arkansas Tech University and major in education. Her professional goals include becoming a first grade teacher.
Curtis enjoys playing basketball, spending time with family, running around and reading. The two things her friends would be surprised to learn about her are that she hates tomatoes and that she can t spell
Cindy Dollard was my favorite teacher because she has taught me a lot about art and how to notice something beautiful. She has also been a teacher I could talk to about my problems if I needed to.
- Kimberly Curtis

Michaela McClelland
Loud, joyful, silly, Christian, loving
Michaela McClelland is Deer High School Class of 2007 valedictorian. The daughter of Michael and Kennetha McClelland is a member of FCCLA, Consuming Fire Ministries, FBLA, student council and BETA Club.
McClelland has been awarded the University of Central Arkansas Dean s Scholarship. She plans to pursue a master s degree in speech-language pathology at the university. Her professional goals include becoming a speech therapist in public school so she can help children.
When McClelland isn t in school, she loves playing her guitar, going to church and eating. Two things her friends would be surprised to learn about her are that she never learned to tie her shoes correctly and that she still does it the kiddie-way.
My favorite teacher was Melissa Winnat. She taught my high school art class and helped me discover my love for art. She was also an incredible mentor and wonderful person.
- Michaela McClelland

Nicole Martin
Perfectionist, loyal, self-motivated, responsible, caring
Nicole Martin is Deer High School Class of 2007 valedictorian. The daughter of Rick and Yalonda Martin is a member of the senior girls basketball team, BETA Club, FCCLA, drama club and Spanish club.
Martin has been awarded the University Scholarship to Arkansas Tech University. She will attend the university in the fall and major in pre-pharmacy. Her professional goals include becoming a pharmacist.
Martin enjoys playing basketball, camping, riding 4-wheelers, going to church, reading and spending time with her friends. Two things her friends would be surprised to learn about her are that she lived in Arizona for a year and a half and that she doesn t know how to do taxes.
Mrs. Napier was my favorite teacher because I could always talk to her if I needed anything and she would always be there for me. She was always the nicest person and an excellent teacher.
- Nicole Martin

Rance L. Carlton
Intelligent, goofy, trustworthy, truthful, athletic
Rance L. Carlton is Deer High School Class of 2007 valedictorian. The son of Lawrence Sonny Carlton and Chir Hodges is a member of the Spanish club, high school boys basketball team, BETA Club, and journalism.
Carlton plans to attend the University of Arkansas, majoring in the engineering field. He hopes to get his career started through co-ops in college and eventually work at a major company such as Boeing or NASA.
Carlton enjoys snowboarding, basketball, swimming, and working with wood. I really enjoy making things with my hands. Two things his friends would be surprised to learn about him are that he s lived in 28 different homes over 17 years, four different states and attended five different schools and that he would like one day to travel into space.
Carmel Davis, my English teacher, is excellent at her job, analyzing all aspects of what needs to be taught and what is best for me and her students. She has always been there for me, all throughout high school. I would always turn to her for anything.
- Rance Carlton

Justin Clayborn
Outgoing, random, mysterious, fun-loving, caring
Justin Clayborn is Deer High School Class of 2007 salutatorian. The son of Jeff Clayborn and Laura McCutcheon is a member of the senior boys basketball team, FBLA and BETA club.
Clayborn will attend North Arkansas College for a semester and then transfer to College of the Ozarks, where he will study accounting. His professional goals include a career in accounting in either Springfield or Dallas.
Clayborn enjoys running, lifting weights, swimming, biking, and hanging out with friends. If he had to design a Web site about himself it would be have a black background and purple, Old English font. Two things his friends would be surprised to learn about him are that he likes classical music and he has some blond moments, a lot.
My favorite teacher was Mrs. Carmel because she was a great teacher, and it was easy to distract her.
- Justin Clayborn

EDITOR S NOTE: Wednesday s valedictorian and salutatorian feature will recognize Mt. Judea High School.

Additional information :

23 to graduate Friday night at Deer: from www.zwire.com