• Shupenus earns Eagle rank

Our Lady of Mercy senior Jonathan Shupenus has earned the highest advancement award from the Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Scout. On August 16, a Court of Honor was held at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Tyrone, Ga. Shupenus, 17, is a member of Troop 79 in Tyrone and has been actively involved in Scouting since becoming a Tiger Cub in 1997. On his trail to Eagle Scout, he earned 29 merit badges, was elected to the Order of the Arrow and completed his Eagle Scout project. He built a map kiosk for the Town of Tyrone. As a Scout he participated in the high adventure program at the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch in New Mexico. At Our Lady of Mercy, Shupenus is a member of the Cross Country team and pole vaults for the Track and Field team. He went to the State Track and Field event in 2008 and medaled. He is the son of Jon and Lisa Shupenus, grandson of Marian Hansen of Tyrone and Jack and Judy Shupenus of Springfield, Illinois.

• Preininger awarded scholarships

Marcela Preininger, a 2008 Starr's Mill graduate, has been awarded two prestigious scholarships. The Goyzueta Scholarship that is administered through Georgia Tech, is awarded to an upcoming freshman in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and leadership. The prestigious HSF Scholarship is awarded to high achieving and motivated students. Preininger is a freshman in the Georgia Tech Honors Program and is pursuing a degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering. She is the daughter of Frank and Gabriela Preininger of Peachtree City, Ga.

• Hunter graduates from Army ROTC Leader's Training Course

Nigel A. Hunter has graduated from the Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) Leader's Training Course at Fort Knox, Ky. The four-week course is a leadership internship for cadets that can lead to the ultimate goal of becoming an Army officer.

College students experience and examine the Army without incurring an obligation to serve in the Army or ROTC, and are eligible to receive two-year college scholarship offers and attend the Advanced ROTC Course at their college. Cadets are observed and evaluated during classroom and field training exercises to determine their officer potential in leadership abilities and skills.

The cadets are trained to have a sound understanding of traditional leadership values during the challenging, motivating "hands-on" training. The training develops well-disciplined, highly motivated, physically conditioned students, and helps improve the cadets' self-confidence, initiative, leadership potential, decision making, and collective team cohesion. The cadets receive training in fundamental military skills, rifle marksmanship, small arms tactics, weapons training, drill and ceremony, communications, combat water survival training, rappelling, land navigation and squad-level operations field training.

Hunter is the son of Anthony D. and Carol J. Hunter of Fayetteville, Ga. In 2006, the cadet graduated from Lovejoy High School, Hampton, Ga.

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