The Nevada Appeal's "Silver Dollar" and "Wooden Nickel" feature recognizes positive achievements from the capital region and, when warranted, points out others that missed the mark.
Silver dollar: To Carson High School graduate (Class of 2006) Sophia Raphael Cardinal, who went on to graduate last weekend from the University of Nevada, Reno with a perfect GPA. In addition to being named a Senior Scholar, Cardinal won the prestigious Herz Medal for having the school's highest GPA. Your hometown is very proud of you, Sophia. Now go out there and have a fantastic future.
Silver dollar: To another CHS 2006 alum, Katie Brown of Carson City, a story of strength and inspiration. Brown excels at life despite living with cerebral palsy.
She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a degree in aerospace engineering and computer science. And to further prove her mettle, she snagged herself a coveted full-time position with NASA in Maryland - her dream job. Brown's determination is proof that if you want it bad enough, you can get it.
Silver dollar: And here's another example of how Carson High School provides a top-notch education: English teacher Cheryl Macy was selected as Nevada's 2011 Teacher of the Year.
She will travel to Washington, D.C., this spring for a week of professional gatherings with the nominees from the other states, and is in the running for the national Teacher of the Year award.
Dinner with President Obama and a week at Space Camp come with the deal. Much deserved accolades for an outstanding teacher.