by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Two Sartell High School seniors – Gopi Ramanathan and Hannah Yackley – will be recognized at a ceremony Tuesday, Jan. 19 at the Paramount Theatre after being named in the (St. Cloud) Times Media’s “2 Under 20” honors roster.
Another Sartell High School senior, Nicole Yang, will also be honored because she is one of three runners-up in the category. The other two are Kaydee Ann Miller of St. Cloud Tech High School and Isaac Logeman of St. Cloud Apollo High School.
This is the first year for the Times Media’s “2 Under 20” honors. For the past 11 years, it has recognized adult achievers in the “5 Under 40” program. For the winners of that category, see details at the end of this story.
The awards are presented to adults and teens in central Minnesota who have demonstrated through their achievements the potential to shape the future. Co-sponsors of the award are Liberty Savings Bank, HealthPartners Central Minnesota Clinic and the Initiative Foundation based in Little Falls.
The students considered for “2 Under 20”recognition were nominated by school administrators, counselors, faculty or home-school teachers. The winners were chosen by last year’s winners of the “5 Under 40” category.
Those who would like to attend the Jan. 19 Paramount honor ceremony can find ticket information at http://on.sctimes.com/1Bovz5. The reception is set for 4:30 p.m. with appetizers and cash bar. The program will begin at 5:15 p.m.
The following are brief profiles of the three Sartell High School honorees:
Ramanathan
Gopi Ramanathan has won a virtual parade of honors for his achievements all through his years of schooling in Sartell.
Born in Sri Lanka, Ramanathan moved to Sartell when he was a small boy with his parents, Gajendranathan and Vasugi Ramanathan. He has a younger brother, Janagan, who is also a high achiever.
Ramanthan said he strongly believes every “small” thing people do adds up to making a big difference sooner or later, and that is why Ramanathan puts so much time, energy and passion into every thing he does.
He is president of the Minnesota Association of Student Councils, a member of the Sartell Student Council and a student representative on the Sartell-St. Stephen School Board. He is a member of the National Honor Society, a member of the Knowledge Bowl, a participant as a mentor in the Big Brother Big Sister program and an avid soccer player.
He is also a volunteer coach for the fifth- and sixth-grade Math Masters teams, a volunteer for Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf and a volunteer for the Sartell Police Activities League.
Ramanthan’s favorite academic subjects are science, technology, engineering and math, although he also has a keen interest in geography, political science and education. He is one of a rare breed of students nationwide – those who achieved a perfect score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.
Ramanathan has won the Minnesota State Geography Bee twice and was a member of the team that won first place at the National Geography Bee in 2013.
Ramanthan has applied at seven colleges. He is not sure where his studies will lead him, but he is certain of one thing: He intends to make the world a better place.
Yackley
One of Hannah Yackley’s biggest dreams is to someday discover a cure for one or more diseases or, at the very least, to help make everyone on the planet healthier and happier.
She has a passion for microbiology, which she intends to study in college – either at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse; or the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Another passion of Yackley’s is dancing. For many years, she has been a member of the multiple-award-winning Sartell Sabre Dance Team, which earned first place last year in the Class AA high-kick category in the Minnesota High School Dance Championships.
Yackley manages to find time for so many other pursuits. She is president of the Sartell Student Council, a member of the National Honor Society, president of the high school’s Spanish Club and a student representative on the Sartell-St. Stephen School Board. She is also a member of the school district’s Curriculum Assessment Advisory Council.
Her many volunteer activities include helping out at the Country Manor Nursing Home, a student representative for the St. Cloud Kiwanis Club, tutoring students in geometry and helping new students adjust to high school as part of the Sabre Splash mentoring program.
Yang
Nicole Yang, one of the three runners-up in the “2 Under 20” roster, participates in many school activities, including speech, theater, Mock Trail, Model United Nations and National Honor Society.
She is also a Big Sister mentor, who was recently given an award by the St. Cloud Optimist Club for her Big Sister work.
Yang plans to major in Spanish or English literature when she goes to college.
Adult winners
The adult honorees in the Times Media’s “5 Under 40” category are the following:
Eunice Adjei-Bosompem, project manager at CentraCare Health and president of Adom Consulting, LLC. She is also active in Create CommUNITY and a member of Community Conversation on Race.
Christy Gilleland, general manager of Gilleland Chevrolet Cadillac and member of the CentraCare Health Foundation Board. She was also influential in making improvements to the Summertime by George! Music series at Lake George in St. Cloud.
Jed A. Meyer, president and chief executive of St. Cloud Federal Credit Union. He also coaches youth baseball and is a member of the Sartell Baseball Association and a member of the Sartell School Planning Committee.
Luke Riordan, founder, owner and chief executive of DAYTA Marketing. He also serves on the Big Brothers Big Sisters Board and is active in the Greater St. Cloud Development Corp.
Willow Sweeney Flaherty, an expert on emotional intelligence and co-founder of Top 20 Training. She devotes much of her time to programs for homeless students and performs with the St. Cloud-based GREAT Theatre.
