Wayland Union High School students will be recognized for their academic achievement at the annual Scholastic Honors Night/Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, at the Wayland Union Fine Arts Center.
The evening will honor high school students in grades 9-12 who have earned a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Featured guest speaker will be Katie (Hindenach) Stone, a 2003 graduate from Wayland Union Schools currently a fourth grade teacher at Steeby Elementary. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and her masters of education in instruction and curriculum from Grand Valley State University. She lso serves on the Social Studies and School Improvement committees.
The evening also will include the induction of two new members into the Wayland Union Schools Alumni Hall of Fame – Cheri Ritz and Roger VanVolkinburg.
Ritz has received the National Coach of the Year award, MHSCA Coach of the Year, Regional Coach of the Year seven times and District Coach of the Year 14 times. Her accomplishments include 22 conference championships, 20 district championships, eight regional championships, five Final Four appearances, and two state softball championships. She teaches physical education at Wayland Middle School and has coached varsity softball, varsity volleyball and varsity tennis. She has coached varsity softball for 32 years and has been an athletic director for nine years.
VanVolkinburg, a 1974 graduate and multiple letter winner in cross country, has served on the Wayland Union School Board, Education Foundation Board, Wayland Chamber board, Wayland Township Planning commission, and currently is the Wayland Township Supervisor and Chairman of the Local Revenue Sharing Board for the Gun Lake Tribe.
He and his wife, Cynthia, live in Wayland Township. They have two daughters; Joy Stuive (WUS class of 1998) and Jamie Schumaker (WUS class of 2000) and two grandsons; Tyler and Austin Stuive, both of whom attend Wayland Union Schools.
The Alumni Hall of Fame award began in 2001 and receives nominations from the public. Individuals must have made an important contribution to Wayland Union Schools, the WUS community, or to society in general.
The public is invited to attend this special event.
The Hall of Fame’s first inductee was longtime high school math teacher Claude Smith. Fire Chief Joe Miller was honored in 2002, teacher-coach Daryl Fleser in 2003, former school board president Dorothy DeWeerd in 2004, former State Senator Frederic Hilbert in 2005, teacher Fran Beuschel in 2006, former Superintendent Tom Tarnutzer in 2007, teacher Clayton Jackson in 2008, teacher Ethel Aubil in 2009, United Bank President Art Johnson in 2010, business teacher Julia Smith in 2011, former Fire Chief Hugh and former Mayor Mike DeWeerd in 2012, the late Pat Coughlin in 2013, Teresa Permoda in 2014 and Roger Merren and Norm Fifelski in 2015.
PHOTOS: Katie Hindenach Stone
Cheri Ritz Roger Van Volkinburg