Tickets for the Marion High School Hall of Distinction 2016 induction ceremony and banquet will be available starting Friday, Sept. 9.
This special event celebrates the legacy of excellence at Marion High School and puts the spotlight on those who have earned recognition in the Hall of Distinction, established in 2006. The 2016 banquet is set for 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at Meshingomesia Country Club, 2225 Lagro Road, Marion.
Tickets will be available for $40 each starting Friday at the MCS District Offices. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Patty Barney, 765-662-2546 x. 125, or pbarney@marion.k12.in.us. RSVP by Friday, Sept. 16, to reserve your spot.
This year, the eight alumni inductees and one honorary inductee include GIANTS in the fields of medicine, law, athletics, journalism, and education, along with a fallen hero who served our country with distinction and honor in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The 2016 inductees are:
- Capt. Brandon A. “Bull” Barrett, Marion High School Class of 2001, killed in action in Afghanistan while serving with the U.S. Marine Corps. Barrett was an outstanding athlete, avid outdoorsman, a loyal and dedicated friend, and a natural leader, whose passionate commitment to the Marine Corps and to his troops was insurmountable. Scholarships and funds continue to be given in his name to support Marion Giants, and his service and heart continue to inspire all who knew him in life, or hear of his legacy.
- Sharon Dunwoody, Marion High School Class of 1965, professor emerita at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and award-winning researcher in the field of science communication.
- Diane Janowicz, M.D., Marion High School Class of 1992, an infectious disease and HIV/AIDS specialist at IU Health and faculty member and fellowship program director at the Indiana University School of Medicine, who spearheaded the clinical response to the major HIV outbreak in the rural community of Austin in southern Indiana last year.
- David Kiley, M.D., Marion High School Class of 1978, an OB/GYN who has earned recognition and respect as an expert in the field and a leader in patient-centered care. In 2004, he was part of a team of doctors who beat 20,000 to 1 odds to save the life of a pregnant woman suffering from a catastrophic heart disorder, and the life of her child as well.
- James D. Luttrull Jr., Marion High School Class of 1974, longtime Grant County prosecutor and criminal justice professor at Indiana Wesleyan University, who is involved in a wide variety of community and volunteer activities and organizations, including First Light Child Advocacy Center, St. Martin de Porres Community Center, and has been a leader in addressing child abuse locally and nationally.
- Zach Randolph, Marion High School Class of 2000, who after leading the Marion Giants to their seventh state championship in 2000, then helping to lead Michigan State University to the Final Four, was drafted into the NBA in 2001 and has gone on to an outstanding career that has included three turns as an NBA All-Star and multiple appearances in the NBA playoffs. He has also earned recognition for his contributions to the community of Memphis, where he has played for the Memphis Grizzlies since 2009, and where he is affectionately known as “Z-Bo Clause” during the holiday season, when he is known for providing direct, personal assistance to hundreds of families each year. He also continues to assist children and families in his hometown in various ways.
- Avis Martin Stewart, Marion High School Class of 1970, longtime teacher, coach, and administrator, first at Marion Community Schools, then at Richmond High School, then at Earlham College, where he has helped promote goodwill and cooperation between the college and the community, and played key roles in Earlham capital projects and nonprofit undertakings in the Richmond community.
- Joe Sutter, Marion High School Class of 1969, Trester Award winner who led the Marion Giants to the state finals, then played professionally in Europe, and who went on to build an outstanding physical therapy practice in Virginia, and then to share his expertise as a clinical educator. He has long been a participant in the federal early intervention program, which helps children ages 0 to 3 and their families overcome physical and developmental challenges, often correcting issues that can become much larger problems later in life. He has also maintained strong ties to the world of sports, providing physical therapy to a wide range of athletes, from local high schools to professional teams. In addition, he has been involved in civic associations other philanthropic endeavors that have had a positive impact on his community in Richmond, Va.
Honorary inductee:
- Kerry Clevenger, longtime local business owner, longtime coach, team sponsor, and an ardent and generous supporter of athletes playing for the Marion Giants and for other athletic leagues and organizations in Marion and Grant County, from Little League baseball and other youth sports, to AAU basketball, to club soccer, and more.