WBMS celebrates end of school year with annual Eighth Grade Awards Assembly

By Debbie Adams

The 2025-2026 school year comes to a close in Roanoke County this week with graduation on
May 27 and the last day of school on May 28. William Byrd Middle School held the traditional
Eighth Grade Awards Assembly on May 22 to recognize students moving up to the next level
with a farewell from WBMS Principal Katie Hutchison and a welcome to the Class of 2030 from
WBHS Principal Even Noell. He was their principal when they arrived at the middle school three
years ago.

The highest honor of the year went to Abby Maldonado and Liam Thepsimuong who were
awarded the Levi Freeman Award given in memory of Levi Freeman, a fellow eighth grader
whose life was cut tragically short after a diagnosis of bone cancer. He would have been a 2020
graduate of WBHS.

The award is presented each year to two students who, in the opinion of the faculty, “best
embody the characteristics of kindness, compassion, honesty, tolerance, and the willingness to do
the right thing even when it’s not popular.”

According to Hutchison, “Abby demonstrates these qualities each day through her compassion,
friendly personality, and willingness to help others. She knows no stranger and consistently goes
out of her way to support classmates in need.”

Abby’s friends and family describe her as “just an awesome girl, kind and loving, high spirited
and very positive to be around.” She is the daughter of Wilmer Maldonado.

“Liam demonstrates these qualities through his quiet, yet powerful presence. He is the definition
of empathy and has shown incredible strength and character throughout this school year,”
Hutchison said. According to his parents, Charlene and Anh Thepsimuong,“This award holds a
special place for Liam in that his brother, Camden, passed away in December from the same
cancer as Levi.”

Awards were presented to “Terrier Scholars” who maintained all “A’s” during sixth, seventh,
and eighth grades: Paige Aremia, Hayden Biggs, Jack Clark, Isabella Cook, Nicole Eggleston,
Sadeed Faqiri, Rory Grant, Ethan Hastings, Shelby Hensley, Corbin Holloway, Sophia Jones,
Kathryn Linkenhoker, Chance Nguyen, Jackson Price, Georgia Ralph, Annabelle Robtison,
Kristian Sattah, Owen Seth, Collyns Terrell, and Matthew Yang. These students were also
named to the A Honor Roll for the first three quarters of their eighth grade year.

Highest Achievement Awards were presented in subject areas by teachers:

 English (Canino): Tyler Williamson, Jaxson Lundy, and Matthew Yang
 English (Christian): Ashlyn Mason, Paige Aremia, and McKenzie Moseley
 English (Rosser): Sophia Jones, Rory Grant, and Dorothy Booher
 English (Mitchell): Brayden Hawse and Rose Tial

 Math (Bonta): Jordan Young, Isaac Wood, and Ashnoor Ashnoor
 Math (Martin): Lasen Elkins, Raegan Henritze, and Alaina Robertson
 Math (Nichols): Chance Nguyen, Sophia Jones, and Cashton Nute
 Math (Barnett): Matthew Yang
 Math (Yamatani): Tyler Williamson

 Science (Close): Alaina Robertson, Jaxson Lundy, Sophie Fielder, Charlotte Harper,
Rory Grant, and Kenlee Campbell
 Science (Johansen): Maggie Benson, Brayden Hawse, Matthew Yang, Dorothy Booher,
Ashnoor Ashnoor, and Chance Nguyen

 Social Studies (Riddle): Raegen Henritze, Alaina Robertson, Cashton Nute, Chance
Nguyen, Rory Grant, Charlotte Harper, and Hayden Biggs
 Social Studies (Brodmerkel): Riley Johnson-Church, Abigail Davis, and Brooklynn Scott
 Social Studies (Peters): Matthew Yang and Annabelle Robtison

Students on the A/B Honor Roll through the first semester of their eighth grade year were named
as “Presidential Scholars”– Skylar Alderman, Brenner Alterio, Paige Aremia, Ashnoor Ashnoor,
Evan Bays, Lydon Beavers, Grayson Bell, Maggie Benson, Cohen Berry, Hayden Biggs,
Dorothy Booher, Piper Bouvier, Kenleigh Campbell, Christina Chaney, Kimberly Chittum, Jack
Clark, Liam Collins, Isabella Cooke, Tania Cortes-Martinez, Hanna Counts, Pedro Cruz-Quiroz,
Kayleigh Davis, Kolbie Davis, Brantley Dodd, Addilyn Dudley, Jordan Dunlap, Naziyah
Edmonds, Nicole Eggleston, Adalynn Eubank, Sadeed Faqiri, Grayson Ferguson, Sophie Fielder,
Pierce Franks, Brett Gardner, Cadence Gearhart, Brinkley Gonzales, Rory Grant, Benjamin
Gurley, Charlotte Harper, Jordon Harris, Ethan Hastings, Madison Haupt, Brayden Hawse,
Abbey Hedrick, Raegan Henritze, Shelby Hensley, Chloe Hodges, Corbin Holloway, Jameson
Horst, Camden Ingram, Jaciel Torres-Carreon, Colton James, Douglas Jones, Sophia Jones,
Korrina Kish, Jayden Lin, Kathryn Linkenhoker, Bryden Lish, Rebecca Louis, Cally Lutz,
Ember Lyles, Abigail Maldonado, Annabelle McIntyre, Caiden Meyer, Jacinna Mitchell, Jacob
Morris, Maci Morrison, Olivia Morrison, McKenzie Moseley, Chance Nguyen, Trevor Nunn,
Dominick Olson, Maddox Overstreet, Cynthia Pena-Rendon, Greylin Peters, Jackson Price,
Alexander Pyle, Ava Rader, Georgia Ralph, Liam Roberts, Alaina Robertson, Annabelle
Robtison, Jasmin Rodriguez-Munoz, Ashton Royall, Owen Rupe, Kristian Sattah, Brooklyn Scott, Owen Seth, Savannah Shepherd, Allie Smart, Jordan Stanley, Garren Sutphin, Collyns
Terrell, Jordin Terry Cabbler, Liam Thepsimuong, Aaliyah Vorst, Brooks Walker, Ryne Walker,
SoLynn Walter, William Weden, Danielle Woodcock, and Matthew Yang.

Special Recognitions went to:

• Lauren Phillips, Virginia General Assembly Senate Page. Each Senate Page is tasked with
  various job assignments such as staffing committee meetings (in a backup clerk capacity),
  answering telephone calls, providing basic concierge services and speaking to the public or
  visiting delegations about their experience and role in the legislative process. The experience is
  designed to provide a foundation of knowledge for the next generation of administrators,
  managers, elected officials and civic leaders. Phillips lived in Richmond and attended for about
  two months.

• Rory Grant, who will be attending the Roanoke Valley Governor’s School
• Civics Bee winners: Caleb Webster, Lasen Elkins, Rory Grant, Bella Cooke, Nicole Eggleston,
  and Shelby Hensley
• Students who will be attending the Burton Center for Arts and Technology:
   Mass communications: Brenner Alterio, Evan Bays, Nicole Eggleston, and William
  Weden
   Engineering: Sadeed Faqiri, Ethan Hastings, Corbin Holloway, Chance Nguyen, and
  Jackson Price
   Computer Information Technology: Caiden Meyer
   Culinary Arts: Shelby Hensley
   Criminal Justice: Riley Johnson-Church and Jonah Smith
   Early Childhood Education: Reece Brady, Mackenzie Cole, and Kelsie Fields
   Game Design & Programming: Grayson Ferguson, McKenzie Moseley, Owen Seth, and
  Liam Sheridan
   Mechatronics/Robotics: Madison Haupt, McKenzie Moseley, Ashley Moore, and Olivia
  Morrison
   Auto Service: Cadence Gearhart, Jaxin Hardy, Ian Michael Hart, and Caleb Webster
   Building Trades: Jacob Morris, Owen Rupe, Kristian Sattah, Jaciel Torres-Carreon, and
  Aiden Worley
   Welding: Chandler Jeffrey
• WBMS Eighth Grade Ambassadors recognized included: Paige Aremia, Maggie Benson,
  Christina Chaney, Jack Clark, Tyler Cobb, Liam Collins, Isabella Cooke, Brett Gardner,
  Brinkley Gonzales, Rory Grant, Charlotte Harper, Abbey Hedrick, Peyson Lamonde, Jayden
  Lowe, Abby Maldonado, Jackson Price, June Prichard, Liam Roberts, Collyns Terrell, Liam
  Thepsimoung, Jaciel Torres-Carreon, Peyton Underwood, Aaliyah Vorst, and Matthew Yang.
  These students serve as tour guides and mentors to new students.
• Members of the Student Advisory Council were recognized: Cally Lutz and Matthew Yang.
• WBMS Science Showcase winners recognized in eighth grade included Brooklynn Scott,
  Hannah Counts, Rory Grant, Owen Seth, Hayden Biggs, and Brenner Alterio.
• County Science Fair Winners: Chance Nguyen and Brenner Alterio
• Roanoke County Spelling Bee: Rory Grant
• Eighth graders who made All-County Band in 2026 were recognized: Hayden Biggs, Ashton
  Royall, Jordan Stanley, and Matthew Yang.
• All-County Band members 2025: Isaac Wood, Isla Beth Baldwin, Aubree Overfelt, Katy
  Linkenhoker, Lasen Elkins, Madison Haupt, Olivia Morrison, Cashton Nute, Josiah Buck, Emily
  Thomas, Emma Thomas, Annabelle McIntyre, Maggie Benson, Jordan Dunlap, Keaton Cale,
  Grayson Bell, Vivian Hunter, Jackson Price, Jordan Stanley, and Cooper Crutchman.
• All-District Choir members in 2026 were Dorothy Booher, Jaylynn Williams, and June Prichard.

Noell encouraged the upcoming freshmen to “get involved, don’t fall behind, finish the year
strong, and remember that life is what you make it.”