Photo by Samantha Davis Marshall High School senior Jed Tabaka is presented with the 2025 Music Student of the Year Award at the annual honors ceremony Tuesday.

MARSHALL — Students and faculty gathered in the Marshall High School gym Tuesday morning for the end-of-year annual honors ceremony, to receive and celebrate a variety of academic recognitions.

“This assembly is unlike our usual school assemblies and pepfests. Today is a moment to celebrate the outstanding academic achievement of your fellow classmates,” Marshall High School Principal Brian Jones said. “Your hard work and dedication throughout the year and to your education deserve nothing less.”

Although revealing a senior Student of the Year in several departments, the ceremony also recognized all grades by naming those who are graduating or finishing the school year with academic honors based on high GPA, such as summa cum laude, magna cum laude and cum laude.

“Being a great student is hard work,” MHS social studies teacher and Honor Society adviser Rick Purrington said. “It takes more than just intelligence. It requires grit, discipline, organization and perseverance.”

The ceremony began with presenting the Honors Society senior members their graduation stole, and inducted the next incoming senior class.

“The Honor Society was established at Marshall High School in the 1960s,” Purrington said. “It serves to develop juniors and seniors who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, spirit, service and character.”

Karsten Springborg received the MSHSL ExCEL Award, (Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership), which is designed for juniors that are active in activities, serve as a leader and have a strong community service commitment.

Ali Pederson and Josh Leibfried each received the MSHSL AAA Award, given to high school seniors that maintain a high GPA and participate in academics, arts and athletics.

The Activities Achievement Award, also given to a senior that takes on numerous extracurricular activities while striving in academics, was awarded to Carter Gehrke.

A junior and senior each year is given the Hall Award, given to those that have positively influenced MHS in the areas of attitude, scholarship, loyalty, activities, leadership and cooperation.

Jack Gunn received the senior nomination at the Pride In The Tiger Foundation on May 16, and junior Taleigha Bigler was given the award at Tuesday’s ceremony.

A senior is named the Student of the Year in nearly all school departments, acknowledging their dedication and success to the subject across all four years of their high school careers.

“Each department at MHS is asked to select one senior that they believe deserves recognition for being an exceptional student in the classroom,” Jones said. “This award is truly an honor, as these students have shown not just high achievement in terms of grades, but a curiosity for the subject and a commitment to learning.”

One by one, a department faculty member took to the podium in center stage to call out the student, and presented them with a certificate and a chosen book as a gift that relates to both the subject and student.