News : Class Acts: Three at VSHS honored for helping younger students

School Board Pres. Sue Gates presented Hannah Hoepner and Emily Howes-Vonstein Class Act Awards.

Class Act: VSHS student Seth Patterson helped 7th grader Sage Holmes during cross country season.

The Vinton-Shellsburg School Board honored three high school students for volunteering much of their time to help younger students.

Two recent graduates, Hannah Hoepner and Emily Howes-Vonstein received the VS Class Act Award during Monday's board meeting for their work with Operation Backpack; Seth Patterson received the same honor for his many hours of working and running with middle school cross country runner Sage Holmes.

Hoepner and Howes-Vonstein helped continue the program started a few years ago by Riley Ries and Kylie Miracle. They and Jenna Lane were leaders of the team of volunteers that gathered, sorted, bagged and distributed weekly food packages to nearly 100 students at Tilford and Shellsburg.

The girls also told the school board that the program provided some food for the summer for those families, as well as some some small non-food gifts like bubbles or sidewalk chalk. The program will continue next year with Lane and student leaders taking the place of the two graduates.

VSMS cross country coach Nathanael Brandt nominated Seth Patterson for the Class Act Award. Patterson spent the cross country season as a volunteer runner, accompanying Holmes, a 7th grader, in practices and all but one of the middle school meets.

Patterson was not present to receive his award, but Sage and his parents, Jeff and Angie Holmes, attended the meeting to express their gratitude.

Jeff Holmes told the board that Sage would probably not have been able to finish the season without Patterson running at his side. VS fans noticed the two of them at meets, with the older student keeping pace with the 7th grader.

Pattersson helped the younger athlete complete the course as he had some challenges that may have prevented him from doing so independently, Brandt said in nominating him.

"He was a great help throughout season and we appreciate his hard work and willingness to help fellow students," Brandt wrote.