By Kristine Thomas 
Morgan Anderson graduates with a perfect attendance record. Grant Martinson literally made a mark on the floor at Matthew Knight Arena at the University of Oregon. Talia Helman “throws clay” to relieve stress.
Madeline Kuenzi admits baking isn’t her thing. Abigail Bennett works with SCAN-TV. Amy Jamsa wants to travel to Japan.
Kaitlyn Furnish effortlessly explains Nanotoxicology. Josif Ilisoi volunteers at Silverton Area Community Aid.
Bridget Garlinghouse enjoys surfing and skiing. Marissa Stewart is Zumbatomic assistant. Miriam Drummond is a member of the jazz choir. Karen Zhen volunteers at the Willamette Humane Society.
While each student is unique, the Silverton High scholars share a common trait – they push themselves to exceed at what they do whether it’s in the classroom, the athletic field or extracurricular activities.
Valedictorians are Morgan Anderson, Abigail Bennett, Bridget Garlinghouse, Talia Helman, Josif Illisoi, Amy Jamsa, Madeline Kuenzi, Marissa Sewart and Karen Zhen and salutatorians are Miriam Drummond, Kaitlyn Furnish and Grant Martinson
Morgan Anderson
The daughter of Joe and Shannon Anderson, Morgan will attend Oregon State University, where she will be a member of the track and cross country teams.
“I chose to go to Oregon State because when I was on campus I felt like that was where I was supposed to be,” Morgan said. “I loved the running program I would be joining and the coaches I would be having. Also, I knew I wanted to go to a big university with lots of stuff going on. And I love the food in Corvallis.”
Abigail Bennett
The daughter of Marilyn and Brad Bennett, Abigail will attend Chemeketa Community College, where she is a Chemeketa Scholar with free tuition.
She plans to attend Western Oregon University after CCC and major in early childhood education.
“I want to become an educator because I feel like I was meant to teach and I love being around children,” she said. “I helped teach math at summer school last August at Butte Creek and fell in love with it.”
Bridget Garlinghouse
The daughter of Keith and Joyce Garlinghouse, Bridget will attend California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo.
Her activities include Outdoor Club President, Cross Country Captain, National Honors Society, hiking, biking, climbing, surfing, skiing, track and field and drama.
“The defining moment of my high school career was when I reduced the number of school sports I participated in,” she said. “This decision provided free time that I had not enjoyed before and it enabled me to grow and expand my interests. It helped me to become a more well-rounded person who enjoys many different activities and many different people.”
Talia Helman
The daughter of David and Manya Helman, Talia will attend Oregon State University’s Honors College.
A varsity soccer player, Talia’s scholarships include Elks Most Valuable Student Award, Silverton Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship, Kiwanis Scholarship and Dell National Merit Scholarship.
“The hardest class I took was AP United States History,” she said. “Although I had a solid A throughout the year, I have never been more challenged by a class. We had reading every night, essays once a week, and then there was a lot of curriculum to go over in that short of time.”
Josif Illisoi
The son of Timotei and Iulieta Illisoi, Josif will attend Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash. “I chose to attend Whitworth because of its great academics and sense of community,” he said.
Josif’s activities include National Honor Society, cross country and track and field, SACA, Bingo and Tree of Giving volunteer, speech and debate and academic excellence awards.
“The hardest class I took was AP U.S. History. Through it I learned the best methods for cramming for a test and discovered how much I enjoyed history and government,” he said.
Amy Jamsa
The daughter of Daniel and Kristen Jamsa, Amy will attend Gonzaga University.
Confessing English isn’t one of her favorite subjects, Amy said College Writing was one of her most difficult classes.
“I have a hard time getting motivated to write,” she said. “I’ve learned that sometimes you need to just force yourself to start writing, no matter how disorganized your thoughts, and then you’ll have a starting place for going back and adding/revising.”
Madeline Kuenzi
The daughter of Kerry and Jodi Kuenzi, Madeline will attend Gonzaga University.
The class that almost put her 4.0 GPA in jeopardy was “Mrs. Cannon’s Food Prep. I learned that baking is not my strong suit and to not count your biscuits till they’ve risen.”
Her activities include Interact Club, National Honor Society, girls’ tennis team, outstanding chemistry student and OASC Community Leader of the Year Award.
Marissa Sewart
The daughter of Jacqueline and Roy Sewart, Marissa will attend the University of Oregon. The hardest class she took was chemistry. “I learned how to take notes and pull important information from the book in a way that was efficient and useful,” she said. “I also learned that not everything is going to come easy for me and I was going to have to buckle down and study and try to get a better grasp on concepts that I struggled with outside of the classroom.”
Karen Zhen
The daughter of Johnny Zhen and Elsa Chen, Karen will attend Oregon State University.
“My hardest class was definitely AP literature,” she said. “I’m a math/scientific person so I cringe when people ask me to interpret literature and the oh-so-dreaded poetry. You know how some people absolutely dread math? Well, literature was my math.”
She learned literature – like math and science – has a pattern, a rhythm.
“I’ve learned to appreciate poetry and that everything in life is stunningly beautiful in its own – even if I can’t fully comprehend it… yet,” she said.
Kaitlyn Furnish
The daughter of Gary and Tannis Furnish, Kaitlyn will attend Oregon State.
“OSU has the widest range of accredited engineering degrees available in the state. Because my plan involves getting an education and networking and making connections through internships and other opportunities,” she said.
Last summer, she had an internship working in a Nanotoxicology Laboratory at Oregon State University’s Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology.
Grant Martinson
The son of Valerie and Jamie Martinson, Grant Martinson will attend Oregon State University, “because of the amazing engineering program it offers.”
His activities include basketball, soccer, cross country, track, tennis and National Honor Society. He has volunteer for YMCA, SYBA, SACA, Outdoor School, St. Paul’s Catholic Church and Fr. Bernard’s Youth Center.
Miriam Drummond
The daughter of Ed Drummond and Kari Spellman, Miriam Drummond will attend Oregon State University in the fall.
Her activities include basketball, including team captain her junior and senior years, jazz choir, National Honor Society, athletic trainer intern, concert choir and academic awards/ honor roll all four years.
