AKRON – Tippecanoe Valley Schools is more than just a school district to the seven inductees of the Distinguished Alumni Class of 2013. When reflecting Thursday night at the Tippecanoe Valley High School Distinguished Alumni Community Dinner, the inductees referred to it as family and recalled just how special their time was. It wasn’t just Tippecanoe Valley High School that made up that family to them, but they included the communities of Burket, Akron and Mentone. “What I took away from Tippecanoe Valley was that feeling of team,” inductee Orville Haney, class of 1998, said. Inductee Ron Newlin, TVHS class of 1976, moved to the community in summer 1973. “What was great about this community was in a smaller school I could reinvent myself,” Newlin said. Kenia Rosas, class of 2000, recalled how one of her favorite teachers went out of her way to help her learn English. Dr. Cameron Vanlaningham spoke about how the Valley education system laid the foundation for him to become an orthopedic trauma surgeon. “Things in high school that really helped me were the fundamentals,” noted Charles “Chuck” Howard, class of 1988. Brandon Miller, class of 1992, reported he sent his children to Tippecanoe Valley instead of Warsaw or Wawasee because of people like Superintendent Brett Boggs. Dr. Marilyn King Kindig Stahl spoke about how there were women in the community like her mother, radio personality Rita Price and teacher Beth Barr Henriques that she could look up to. After the dinner and after emcee Price interviewed each of the seven inductees, Boggs told the attendees, “What a group we have here. I hope you’ve been inspired by what these people had to say. I hope that you’ve been touched.” Earlier during the dinner, School Board President Bryan Murphy said, “I’m really proud of these people and that they went to Tippecanoe Valley.” Newlin was the executive director of the Indiana Basketball Hame of Fame from 1987 to 1995, and led a capital campaign to build the museum in New Castle. He is a non-profit consultant, and lives in Indianapolis with his family. Stahl began her medical career as a nurse, graduating from Parkview School of Nursing in 1986. After graduating I.U. in 1990 and Des Moines University with a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree in 1994, she completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology in 1998. She started her own company in 2010, Women’s Health for Life, hiring only women for the 29 positions. She and her husband have five children. Howard joined the U.S. Navy where he trained to be an electrician’s mate operating the nuclear power plant onboard submarines. After his service, he worked for Navistar for 11 years. He was awarded five patents and has more pending. He and his wife live near Silver Lake with their two sons. After graduating Valley in 1992 and Manchester University in 1996, Miller went on to become business director for Biomet. He and his wife reside in the house he grew up in. At Akron Elementary School, Rosas was Kenia Ramirez. After graduating Valley in 2000, she became the first member of her family to graduate college, receiving a bachelor’s degree from Manchester University. She works in human resources at Pike Lumber Company in Akron, where she lives with her husband and two sons. Vanlaningham spent 14 years of study after high school to become an orthopedic trauma surgeon. He and his wife and their two children now live in Kalamazoo, Mich. After working a few jobs, Haney returned to his home area to become the sixth generation of his family to reside on the dairy farm north of Akron. He was named Kosciusko County Farm Bureau Man of the Year in 2010 and nominated as a person you should know by the Farmer’s Exchange. He and his wife were winners of the Young Farmer Achievement Award in 2012. Today, the alumni will have breakfast at the high school and then spend most of the day meeting with TVHS students. The alumni will talk to the current students about their education, careers and Tippecanoe Valley. During half time of the home football game against Southwood tonight, the inductees will be introduced and presented with plaques. This is the fourth year for the Distinguished Alumni program at Tippecanoe Valley. Thursday night’s dinner was the second time for it. The TVHS Distinguished Alumni are individuals, living or deceased, who graduated from TVHS and went on to lead successful and productive lives. Anyone who wants to nominate a TVHS graduate for the 2014 Distinguished Alumni may obtain a nomination form from the TVSC website at www.tvsc.k12.in.us, TVSC administration office, or the office of any TVSC school. Nominations are due no later than May 1.
