On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (Kalamazoo RESA) hosted the 39th annual Outstanding Achievement Awards at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo.
The event celebrated more than 70 exceptional high school students from across Kalamazoo County who demonstrated outstanding dedication and achievement in their respective education programs.
The awards also recognized Bronson Healthcare as the 2025 Career Connect Outstanding Business & Industry Partner, and The Kalamazoo Promise was named 2025 Career Connect Community Partner of the Year, for their exceptional contributions to student success and regional workforce development.
Selected by the Kalamazoo RESA Foundation in collaboration with Career Connect staff and instructors, student honorees represent the top achievers from a pool of over 3,000 individuals participating in more than 30 high school programs, including Career & Technical Education (CTE), Education for the Arts (EFA), Early/Middle College (EMC), and Career Pathway Planning Programs. Also recognized were children of our Kalamazoo KRESA employees who have prioritized educational excellence. All awardees share a common commitment to investing in their futures and to realizing their career goals.
Alumni of KRESA’s Career Connect programs also took part in the presentation. Featured speakers included Kimberly Whittaker, Customer Support Specialist at Southwest Michigan Behavioral Health (2Gen Program alum); Nick Turske, Co-Founder of Elemental Media (EFA alum); and Churu Yun, Principal at Argenta Park (CTE alum).
The evening continued with the announcement of scholarship recipients, celebrating their accomplishments and aspirations for their bright futures.
See full list of honorees and donors below:
Climax-Scotts:
Olivia Von Eitzen
Comstock High School:
Tyler Woolsey
Galesburg-Augusta High School:
Elijah Porter
Hailee Themins
Gull Lake High School:
Taylor Belz
William Julian
Cameron Loukes
Allison Money
Charlotte Osburn
Heritage Christian:
Brenden Handley
Kalamazoo Central:
Annie Alkema
Angel Garcia
Layla Hemphill
Dane Lake
Valeria Montoya Galvan
Kynnedi Patterson
Aliya Spiller
Kardierre Williams
Ja'Moni Williams
Loy Norrix High School:
Audrey Buck
Brynn Dugger
Elizabeth Jonaitis
Joselyn Juarez
Ashley Lopez
Jireh Mcnair
Edwin Ramos Lopez
Portage Central High School:
Kyleigh Beaver
Samuel Bodine
Keegan Homan
Carly Koch
Jada Shaw
Kaley Sheahan
Elizabeth Warner
Portage Northern High School:
Sana Ahola
Landon Berghuis
Robert Haworth
Carson Hernandez
Alayna Houts
Christopher LaLonde
Riley Patterson
Schoolcraft High School:
Megan Dykema
Jaden Reiber
Vicksburg High School:
Kailynn Brown
Asant Ivens
Lyla Kling
Victoria Langdon
Joslyn Stephenson
Lucas Triemstra
Emma Vallier
Brady Young
Adalia Zoeller
Vicksburg Pathways:
Ellie Martin
Career Connect Career Pathway Planning Program Honorees:
Hala Alhasan
Hanin Bzizi
Xavion Chandler Williams
Jessica DeRyke
Phi Duong
Carzhey Frederick
Eryca Haithcox
Haneef Hampton
Lilly Horvath
Tarra Hough
Elisia McPherson
Nathan Schnepp
Jacob Soule
Lové Thompkins
Brittany Wright
Scholarship & World of Work Donors:
Alpha Delta Kappa; Michigan Alpha Delta Kappa
Burdick-Thorne Foundation
Don & Ann Parfet
DQ Hunter Memorial
Kalamazoo Area Retired School Personnel
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Lestor Minor & Sue Garvey
Linda Powell
Portage Education Foundation; Scott Hammond
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo RESA Foundation Donors:
Bronson Methodist Hospital Gayl F. Werme Memorial and Kalamazoo RESA Gayl F. Werme Memorial
Burdick-Thorne Foundation
Donald & Ruth Webster Memorial
Dr. Robert & Ruth VanderRoest Memorial
Dr. W. Craig & Diane Misner
Eaton Corporation
Education for Employment Retired Staff
Fabri-Kal Foundation
Gary P. and Logan L. Brown
Gary Rice Memorial
Home Builder’s Association of Western Michigan
Irv & Alberta Cumming
Irving S. Gilmore Foundation in Memory of Gayl Werme
Jack & Sue Martin
Jeanne Webster Memorial
Kalamazoo RESA Board of Education
Kaiser Aluminum, Career Connect Sponsor
Larry & Rose Wile
Miller-Davis
Myra L. Jackson Memorial
Nate Pollard Memorial
Parker Hannifin, Career Connect Sponsor
Patrick J. Everett Memorial
Paul & Betts Wollam/Stephanie Jo Harris Memorial
Quota Club of Kalamazoo
Robert C. Thompson Memorial
Sergeant Lisa Zuk Memorial
Stairway to a Career
Tammy Mallos Memorial
TeleCity Information Highway
Tom & Marsha Conor Memorial
W. Jack & Dr. Nanette Keiser
Walter B. Forbes Aviation
YOU Scholarship
