By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
ssoldan@mihomepaper.com
Brandon Twp. — The Brandon School District is accepting nominations for the Ed and Diane Donaldson Distinguished Alumni Wall of Fame.
“The school district is very excited to continue with our Distinguished Alumni tradition, honoring the legacy our Brandon Blackhawks provided to our school, community, and beyond,” said district superintendent Carly Stone. “There’s a lot of pride around that.”
Nominees must have graduated from Brandon High School at least 10 years ago, and since graduating, have distinguished themselves through achievement, service and contributions to their community, profession or nation.
Some examples may include achieving the highest level of their profession or organization, significant accomplishments in their area of expertise, being awarded a great honor within their career or organization, rising to the highest levels of public service, holding a position of prestige or notoriety beyond the Ortonville/Brandon community or specific and significant accomplishments during decades of service as a local elected official or leader within the Ortonville/Brandon community.
“It allows current students to look at role models, look at what the possibilities are out there,” said Stone. “What’s so nice about the wall is it’s very diverse. There’s no cookie cutter way to get on that wall. It’s about being innovative, dedicated, persistent and hard-working. Four our kids, it’s providing them role models, faces, names. Being in a small town, people recognize names and families, so it keeps it close.”
Applications are being accepted through Aug. 31. The form can be found at www.brandonschooldistrict.org/index.php/distinguished-alumni-award and can be sent to awheat@brandon.k12.mi.us or to 1025 S. Ortonville Road, Ortonville, MI 48462, ATTN Carly Stone. A committee will review the nominations and choose honorees for the ceremony the Thursday before the annual Homecoming game.
Past honorees include Fran Moore Hotchkiss, Ron Sutton, Justin Quisenberry, Clark and Lori Cook, Dr. Cynthia McDermott, Dr. Gwen Hamilton, Lieutenant Greg Glover, Dennis Hoffman and more.