SHS Senior, Madalyn Lobmeyer of Seward was honored at the recent Seward Rotary Club meeting on Wednesday, September 4, 2019 at their weekly Rotary Club’s noon luncheon meeting at the Jones Bank auditorium in Seward.  She is the daughter of Jonathan and Amy Lobmeyer of Seward and was introduced and welcomed to the meeting by Rotarian Clark A. Kolterman.  Clark Kolterman shared many of the activities of Madalyn and spoke on the numerous accomplishments and honors she has achieved during her high school career.  Madalyn was presented with a packet of materials promoting Rotary and the community of Seward and was also presented with a Seward Rotary Club banner.

Madalyn is a very involved student but her academic efforts is a priority.   She has consistently been on the SHS Honor Roll with a 4.05 GPA. She is a longtime member of the SHS Quiz Bowl team.  She was recently named a semi-finalist for the National Merit program.  She is a member of the Seward High National Honor Society.

Madalyn participated in the State Fair Competitions in the Education!  She has been involved with the TriMathalon at Doane University during her high school career, as well as UNL Math Day Competition honoree and has received many P.R.I.D.E. Awards from the SHS Faculty.  She attended the All Girls All Math Summer Camp and was an AMC Test Participant. She is certified in Microsoft Excel M.O.U.S. in Work, Excel and PowerPoint. 

Madalyn was a member of the SkillsUSA Vocational Education service organization at Seward High, and also a member of the SHS Key Club.  She was named a Hugh O Brian Youth Leader Pioneer (HOBY). She also participated in the GFWC NFWC Sophomore Pilgrimage at the State Capitol.

Madalyn has been involved with Speech and Drama at SHS and was a state qualifier for the last two years! She has been involved with the SHS One Act program and SHS Musicals her entire high school career, also serving as a Stage Manager for the Musical.  She is a member of the SHS Speech team, participating in Persuasive Speech, Informative Speaking, Humorous Prose Literature and the Drama Team.  

She participated in the local VFW Voice of Democracy Oratorical/Speech Contest and was a District Finalist the last three years.    She has been successful in the local and state Poetry Outload program as well-was named the Outstanding Freshman Presenter, selected the SHS Champion and Poetry Outloud State Finalist and SHS Outstanding Junior Presenter in the Poetry Outloud Contest.  She was the State Champion in the Nebraska Oratorical Speech Contest and competed at the National Contest in St. Louis, Mo.

She is active in the SHS Music program, especially instrumental-playing in the SHS Marching Band, SHS Concert Band, SHS Wind Ensemble, SHS Pep Band and the Underclassman Honor Band and plays the french horn and mellophone.  She is a member of the SHS Select Choir.  She was a member of the SHS Student International Travel Program this last summer and visited and experienced France, England and Amsterdam with a delegation from Seward and Seward High.

Madalyn is very involved with his church in many volunteer aspects in her church. She is a member of the St. John Lutheran Church in Seward.  

Her “Service Above Self” service in the community is his continued work with the community projects with Key Club’s Food Drive programs and the Key Club UNICEF Children’s drive and their annual Multi-Cultural Affair. She is also involved with the Mobile Food Distribution the St. John Mobile Pantry in Seward and has been a longtime volunteer to help those less fortunate.  

Madalyn is employed outside of school at the JD Coffee Shop and served as an intern in the Seward County Attorney’s office.  

She plans to attend either MIT, RIT or the University of Nebraska and Major in Software Engineering, and has not decided yet on a final area or career after college.

Madalyn was presented with a Seward Rotary “Book” Scholarship will be again recognized and honored at the SHS Spring Academic Night and she is now a finalist for the Seward Rotary Youth Rotarian of the Year scholarship.  Applications have been emailed to all SHS Seniors for the Youth Rotarian of the Month Award and can also be obtained from the SHS Counselor’s office.  

SHS Senior, Jarod Harris of Seward was honored at the recent Seward Rotary Club meeting on Wednesday, August 21^st, 2019 at their weekly Rotary Club’s noon luncheon meeting at the Jones Bank auditorium in Seward.  He is the son of Kirtis and Kari Harris of Seward and was introduced and welcomed to the meeting by Rotarian Dr. Matt Dominy.  Dr. Dominy shared many of the activities of Jarod and spoke on the numerous accomplishments and honors he has achieved during his high school career. Jarod was presented with a packet of materials promoting Rotary and the community of Seward and was also presented with a Seward Rotary Club banner.

Jarod is a very involved student but his first priority is his academic efforts. He has consistently been on the SHS Honor Roll.  Jarod is Captain of the SHS Academic Decathlon team.  He is a longtime member of the SHS Quiz Bowl team and serves as a Captain of the successful SHS Quiz Bowl team.  He was recently named a finalist for the National Merit program and a member of the SHS High Ability Learner program (HAL) for the School District of Seward.

Jarod has been one of the academic leaders in the State Fair Competitions in the Education Division, with multiple finishes in the top five tests and winning first place awards in many areas!  He has been one of the top awardees in the Trimathalon at Doane University many times during his high school career, as well as UNL Math Day Comptitions and received many P.R.I.D.E. Awards from the SHS Faculty.  

Jarod is very involved with the SkillsUSA Vocational Education service organization at Seward High, on the State level and was recently elected to be one of the first Nebraskan’s to be elected as a National SkillsUSA officer-serving as the National Skills USA Parliamentarian.  He served as a leader on the local SkillsUSA level-participating in many of the local service projects and was elected a State officer of the State SkillsUSA program last year-serving as SkillsUSA State Historian.  He participates in the SkillsUSA Quiz Bowl program on the State and National level and competed in Web Design and Drone Technology. 

Jarod has been involved with Speech and Drama at SHS over the span of his High School Career-patriating in the SHS One Act program and SHS Musicals.  He is a member of the SHS Speech team, participating in Entertaining Speech, Impromptu Speaking and Extemporaneous Speaking.  He participated in the local VFW Voice of Democracy Speech Contest and Poetry Outload program as well.

Jarod was a finalist for the HOBY program.  He is also a leader and longtime active member of the SHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and has participated in numerous competitions and contests on the State Level at State FBLA Conventions and was a national FBLA Qualifier three times.  

He has been a leader and active in the SHS Music program, especially instrumental, with his trombone-playing in the SHS Marching Band, SHS Concert Band, SHS Wind Ensemble, SHS Pep Band.  He has also been a member of the Seward Swing Choir Band and Select Choir.

Jarod is very involved with his church in many volunteer aspects and considered a youth leader in his church. He is a member of the Seward United Methodist Church and involved in their Youth Program.

Jarod is a long time member of the Seward Scouts program and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.  He continues to mentor young Scouts even today. He was also a longtime member and leader in the SHS Swim Club, with many award and honors as a result of his swimming accomplishments.  

His “Service Above Self” service in the community is his continued work with the community projects with Skills USA’s annual Blood Drive, Christmas Drive, Food Drive and Teacher Appreciation programs. As a member of Scout Troop 256 his has been involved with host of community service activities as well and his Eagle Scout project was promoting bike safety by sponsoring a local Bike Rodeo for the Greater Seward Area.  

Jarod was employed outside of school at the Dowding Memorial Swimming Pool as a lifeguard and currently is the concessions manager at Seward Rivoli Theater.  

He plans to attend MIT University and Major in Chemical Engineering, and eventually hopes to become a Chemical Engineer

Jarod was presented with a Seward Rotary “Book” Scholarship will be again recognized and honored at the SHS Spring Academic Night and he is now a finalist for the Seward Rotary Youth Rotarian of the Year scholarship.  Applications have been emailed to all SHS Seniors for the Youth Rotarian of the Month Award and can also be obtained from the SHS Counselor’s office.  

The Community of Seward and local, Seward Civic and Service organizations won six awards at the recent Keep Nebraska Beautiful State Conference in Lincoln at the Awards Luncheon sponsored by Keep Nebraska Beautiful at the Graduate Hotel on August 22, 2019. 

The SHS Family Career Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) was named First Runner-Up in the High School Civic Groups  for their numerous recycling projects during the school year-especially for their “Recycled Shoe Drive” held in conjunction with the annual “Suicide Awareness and Prevention” Campaign in the school.  Representing SHS FCCLA at the Awards Luncheon were Hannah Kolterman Wagner and Miriam Voehl-co chair of the SHS Suicide Awareness Program last year at SHS and the shoe recycling program.

Seward High was also complimented with an Award of Excellence for their annual recycling campaign and efforts, under the direction of Mr. Pat Piskorski and his Fifth Hour Classes for recycling paper and plastic.

The new “Seward Statue Courthouse Plaza” on the Seward County Courthouse Square was named “Best Beautification Project in Nebraska for 2019” –winning the new ”Jane Paulson” State of Nebraska Beautification Award by Keep Nebraska Beautiful. Accepting the award was Jean Kolterman and Bonnie Kruse, who both served on the Seward Plaza Committee representing the GFWC Seward Woman’s Club and Seward Rotary Club. The First Place Award for “Nebraska’s Best Overall Beautification Project” was named to honor the former Executive Director of Keep Nebraska Beautiful and presented at the recent Keep Nebraska Beautiful Conference in Lincoln at their awards luncheon.  

The Seward Courthouse Plaza, located on the Seward County Courthouse Square, features a life-size, bronze statue of William Henry Seward, donated by the Mark Kolterman family of Seward as a memorial to his wife, the late Suzanne Kolterman.  The finished plaza was funded with major donations by civic groups-The GFWC Seward Woman’s Club, the Seward Rotary Club, the Seward Kiwanis Club and the Seward Arts Council.  Major business donors to the project included the Jones Bank, Hughes Brothers Inc., Hartmann Construction-Bill and Doris Hartmann and TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, Inc., along with a host of other contributors both financially and with many “in-kind” services.  

 Seward Community won the top award –First Place-Award of Excellence in the “Great American Clean-Up” competition for their outstanding recycling and clean-up day sponsored by the Seward Kiwanis and Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership and Seward County. The special Seward Clean-up Day was coordinated by the Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership and various Civic Groups-directed under the leadership of Jill Perdue/Seward Kiwanis and the Seward County Chamber Development organization (SCCDP), as well as the Seward County Board’s support. 

The City of Seward won First Place in the “Deanie Anderson” Outstanding Community Environmental Award division for Large Communities for their outstanding total community recycling effort, beautification projects and clean-up campaigns. Accepting the award for Seward was Betty Jean Kolterman for the City of Seward Keep Seward Beautiful Committee (Chairman), who prepared all the nominations.  ‘

The GFWC Seward Woman’s Club received the First Place- Award of Excellence for their beautification and betterment efforts in the Division of Civic Organizations by “Keep Nebraska Beautiful” for their support of the Seward Plaza Project and their annual, numerous efforts to support local beautification, such as sponsoring the annual Arbor Day in Seward.  Jean Kolterman and Bonnie Kruse accepted the awards for the GFWC Seward Woman’s Club. 

The SHS Family Career Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) was named First Runner-Up in the High School Civic Groups  for their numerous recycling projects during the school year-especially for their “Recycled Shoe Drive” held in conjunction with the annual “Suicide Awareness and Prevention” Campaign in the school.  

Seward High was also complimented with an Award of Excellence for their annual recycling campaign and efforts, under the direction of Mr. Pat Piskorski and his Fifth Hour Classes for recycling paper and plastic.

There were eleven delegates from Seward at the recent Keep Nebraska Beautiful Conference in Lincoln at the new Graduate Hotel in the Hay Market on Thursday, August 22, 2019. Representing Seward High School were SHS FCCLA representatives –SHS Juniors-Miriam Voehl and Hannah Kolterman-Wagner, GFWC Seward Woman’s Club representatives were members Bonnie Kruse and Jean Kolterman, (who is also the Seward Keep Nebraska Beautiful Committee Chairman), representing Seward Rotary Club was Rotarian Roger Glawatz and his wife Sharon Glawatz, Rotarians John and Bonnie Kruse, Rotarian Bill Hartmann and his wife Doris Hartmann and Rotarian Clark Kolterman. Representing the Seward Kiwanis Club was Dr. Louis Reith.  Clark Kolterman also represented the Seward County Visitor’s Committee.

The Keep Seward Beautiful Committee, under the longtime direction of Keep Seward Beautiful Chairman Betty Jean Kolterman, who serves as a volunteer and co-coordinated the application efforts for the annual awards contest and presentations.  The awards were presented by the KNB Board Chair Michael Miller.

Click on the link below to access the August 2019 District newsletter.

SPS District Newsletter August 2019