Southeast senior Bryson Spahn was recognized May 2 at a banquet for the Joplin Globe and Missouri Southern State University’s All-Area Academic Excellence Team. Candidates are determined by GPA and ACT scores and roughly the top 20 students are selected. Spahn was one of 21 students recognized—only three were from Kansas.

Those selected were also asked to name a teacher who inspired them. Spahn named Mr. Brad Coots, “who supported me and my classmates, priming us to win big at local and state competitions” and for his “dry sense of humor and ability to be brutally honest”.

Spahn has also been named a Kansas Governor Scholar for the top 1% students in the state, and is now a two-time TSA National qualifier.

We’re told the The Joplin Globe plans to run a feature about the banquet along with bios of each of the students recognized in this Sunday’s edition.