Durant High School commencement was held May 20 in the high school gym. The top 10 percent of the 2017 graduating classes include: Amanda Wiese, Samantha Kutcher, Kaitlyn Wiese and Lauren Ralfs. Amanda Wiese was also named valedictorian while Samantha Kutcher was named salutatorian.
Department awards went to the following: Amanda Wiese for math, Curtis Lilienthal for P.E., Kaitlyn Wiese for science, Madison Sloan for ELA and choir, Samantha Kutcher for social studies, Aubrey Doerscher for Spanish, Emily Seligman for band, William Macchiaverna for art, Cole Stineman for Industrial Tech, Davison Weber for FCS and Amorae Myers for drama.
Additional awards and scholarship recipients include the following:
Mason Bird—Gallon Grad Award.
Morgan Brown—J.R. Lewis Scholarship and Muscatine Community College Griffith Memorial Scholarship.
Cole Miedema—Bernie Saggau Award; Durant Athletic Booster Scholarship; and Durant Academic D-Silver.
Jalyn Bullard—American Citizenship Award; Durant Student Council Scholarship; Durant PTO Scholarship; Durant Athletic Booster Scholarship; Durant Academic D-Gold; Durant Community School Education Foundation Scholarship; Leland Smith Foundation Scholarship; Mildred and Marjorie Carstensen Scholarship.
Caleb Burmeister—Muscatine Community College Griffith Memorial Scholarship.
Michael Choate—Open Prairie Chapter NSDAR: History Award and Muscatine Community College Griffith Memorial Scholarship.
Jordan Craig—Arnold W. Glaser Scholarship.
Aubrey Doerscher—Muscatine Community College Griffith Memorial Scholarship.
Cale Frett—Waldorf University Athletic Scholarship for Football; Waldorf Academic Promise Award; and Waldorf Travel Grant.
Dawson Frett—Waldorf University Athletic Scholarship for Football; Waldorf Academic Promise Award; and Waldorf Travel Grant.
Sierra Gregoire—Durant Academic D-Silver and Jim and Babe Vastine Scholarship.
Brittany Kahl—Durant Academic D-Gold.
Samantha Kutcher—University of Northern Iowa: Distinguished Scholar’s Award; Quad City Times Salute to Academics & Achievements: Academics; Durant Academic D-Gold; DCSEF and Wilton Bank Scholarship; Loren and Tammy Bockwaldt Scholarship; Durant Jaycee’s Scholarship and Salutatorian.
Alexis LaRue—Muscatine Community College Griffith Memorial Scholarship.
Elias Latimer—Muscatine Community College Griffith Memorial Scholarship.
Curtis Lilienthal—Great American Rivalry Series Scholarship; Cedar County Cattlemen Association Scholarship; Durant Athletic Booster Scholarship Durant Academic D-Silver; Leland Smith Foundation Scholarship; and Jim and Babe Vastine Scholarship.
Claire Mathias—Cedar County Pheasants Forever Scholarship; MidAmerican Energy Company Scholarship; Grace College National Merit Finalist Scholarship; Durant American Legion Post #430 Scholarship; and Durant American Legion Squadron #430 Scholarship.
Cole Miedema—Durant Athletic Boosters Scholarship and Bernie Saggau Award.
Clayton Miller—Muscatine Community College Griffith Memorial Scholarship.
Breanna Moeller—Quad City Times Salute to Academics & Achievements: the Arts and Durant Academic D-Silver.
KayeLea Murray—Muscatine Community College Griffith Memorial Scholarship.
Amorae Myers—Quad City Times Salute to Academics & Achievements: Humanities; Durant Student Council Scholarship; Arch Scholarship; Trustee Scholarship; and Durant Academic D-Silver.
Gabriella Nicola—Muscatine Community College Griffith Memorial Scholarship and Vera French Foundation Scholarship.
Lauren Ralfs—Quad City Times Salute to Academics & Achievements: Young Journalist; Durant Student Council Scholarship; Durant PTO Scholarship; Durant Academic D-Gold; Leland Smith Foundation Scholarship.
Thomas Rhoades—Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Scholarship; Durant Music Booster Scholarship; Iowa State Academic Recognition Award; Davenport Elks Lodge Most Valuable Student Scholarship; Durant Academic D-Gold; and Durant American Legion Squadron #430 Scholarship.
Emily Seligman—Gallon Grad Award and Durant Academic D-Silver.
Madison Sloan—Muscatine Community College Griffith Scholarship; Muscatine Community College Music Scholarship; Selected for Muscatine Community College Jazz Choir; Durant Music Booster Scholarship; Durant American Legion Post #430 Scholarship; Durant American Legion Auxiliary Unit #430 Memorial Scholarship; and First District American Legion Glenwood Long Scholarship.
Cole Stineman—Quad City Times Salute to Academics & Achievements: Vocational Education.
Dakota Tegtmeier—Gallon Grad Award.
Davison Weber—Muscatine Community College Griffith Memorial Scholarship.
Amanda Wiese—National Council on Youth Leadership Muscatine Chapter; Cedar County Historical Society Scholarship; Scott County Farm Bureau Scholarship; Siegfried Petersen Scholarship; Quad City Times Salute to Academics & Achievements: Leadership; Durant National Honor Society Scholarship; Governors Scholar Recognition Award; F&B Communications Scholarship; Bennett Auxiliary Memorial Scholarship; Durant Athletic Booster Scholarship; Cedar Wapsi Pheasants Forever Scholarship; Durant Academic D-Gold; Durant Community School Education Foundation Scholarship; Leland Smith Foundation Scholarship; Durant Jaycee’s Scholarship and valedictorian.
Kaitlyn Wiese—Department Award: Science; Quad City Times Salute to Academics & Achievements: Math/the Sciences; Durant National Honor Society Scholarship, Bennett Auxiliary Memorial Scholarship; Durant Academic D-Gold; Leland Smith Foundation Scholarship; and Carl and Ethal Schacht Scholarship.
Peyton Wiese—Muscatine Community College C Scholarship; Muscatine Community College Griffith Scholarship; and Lilienthal Pioneer Scholarship/
Madison Willkomm—Durant Academic D-Silver.
Recipients of the Academic D-Gold awards were students with a final cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. The Academic D-Silver awards went to students with a GPA of 3.0 to 3.4.