Simply Amazing Teen finalists!

Simply Family Magazine received numerous nominations for the 2013 Simply Amazing Teen.  Let’s just say-there are some pretty amazing teens in our community!  This year’s 2013 Simply Amazing Teen goes to Tristan Stiffarm-see his complete bio in this month's magazine!!  (All photos courtesy of Jana Graham Photography)

We would like to give a big thank you to everyone who nominated a teen this year!  Although we could choose only one winner, we would like to congratulate the following amazing teens as finalists in our consideration.  These young adults are our future, and we at Simply Family are so impressed by them!

KaeLee Massey

KaeLee Massey is a teen who excels academically and athletically.  Her favorite sports include basketball and softball for the Senior High Broncs.   A straight-A student in multiple honors and advanced classes, KaeLee was recently inducted into the National Honor Society.  This dedicated and hard-working teen also works part-time in addition to babysitting and assisting family on the weekends.

Marisa Barthuly

Marisa Barthuly is a 4.0 honors student, President of the class of 2014, and valedictorian at Skyview High School.  She recently won the Chemistry Merit Award for outstanding student, and placed 6th in the nation on the National French Exam.  In addition to her academic pursuits, Marisa is a swim instructor and lifeguard and enjoys playing soccer and tennis for Skyview.  As Tom Klunder, chemistry teacher at Skyview said, “With all of these accolades you can tell that Marisa is a special person and a role model for her peers.  She has an innate desire to make sure all of her peers are successful too.”

Raegan Bunting

Raegan Bunting wants to be a teacher after high school so she can help students realize their potential.  This 17-year-old high achieving student at Skyview High School takes pride in taking difficult classes including Honors English, Chemistry and Algebra 3, all while maintaining an impressive 3.6 GPA.  In addition to excelling academically, Raegan enjoys playing the flute in the band and orchestra and recently worked as a flute tutor.

Tanner Leenknecht

Tanner Leenknecht has overcome a lot of health obstacles throughout the years, but is known for his unwavering ability to bounce back and push forward-all the while keeping a smile on his face.  As Fred Michels, Chairman of the Science Department at Skyview High School said, “Tanner exhibits the ability to work through difficult tasks even when things do not go smoothly.  He is very determined and attempts to solve his own problems without excuses, without asking for help, and without complaining.”  The senior at Skyview High School plans to attend college following graduation.  He also enjoys playing sports including soccer and baseball.

Again, the entries that we received were amazing.  It is refreshing to see so many teens contributing to their communities, their schools, and our future.  We wish we could have chosen EVERY SINGLE ONE of you!  Here's to our future!!!