The White Falcon - 19.05.2004, Blaðsíða 10

Batten Storms the Competition, named CNRE's Youth of the Year
By J02 Travis D. Eisele
Perhaps it was an omen that Stormie Batten was
named for the raging storms occurring during her
birth because she has been a whirlwind ever since.
Tearing through high school with a cumulative
GPA over 3.5 while being a varsity soccer and
volleyball captain, editor of the school newspaper,
Viking Times, a co-editor of the Poetry Club, and a
volunteer at the Teen Center, her list of school and
volunteer activities goes on and on.
For her excellence and commitment to the
NASKEF community, Batten was recently named
Commander Navy Region Europe’s Youth of the
Year. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America Youth of
the Year Award, sponsored by the Reader’s Digest
Foundation, is designed to promote and recognize
service to the club and community, academic per-
formance, and contributions to family and spiritual
life. For winning at the regional level, Batten will
automatically be entered into the nation-wide con-
test with a $10,000 scholarship as the prize.
Batten plans to use her scholarship at Old Dominion
University and combine her loves of medicine and
art.
“I’m looking at studying something in the medical
field, probably surgery,” said Batten. “I eventually
hope to be able to combine my interest in the medi-
cal field with my interest in art and do art therapy.”
She added that for her, art is very therapeutic.
“I love art because there are so many different
mediums that you can do different things,” said
Batten. “You could sing, do an oil painting, sculpt in
clay or perform a dance. Anyone can do it because
everyone has a talent in something artistic.”
Batten’s artistic talents were recognized earlier
this year when she was selected as one of 154
Department of Defense Europe students to attend
Creative Connections, an annual visual and per-
forming arts workshop where she was paired up
with an expert instructor to study oil pastel painting
in detail. This was her second year attending the
workshop.
As she nears graduation, Batten said that the envi-
ronment at A.T. Mahan High School provided her
with benefits she may have not received at any other
community or school.
“With only 16 people in my graduating class we
were able to get the individualized attention that I
may not have gotten at another school,” said Batten.
“If we needed help, our teachers were more than
happy to stay after and help us until we understood
the subject we were studying. We also got to travel
a lot. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve
been to England.”
She said she feels a little apprehensive about mov-
ing from the small community of NAS Keflavik to
the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.
“I’m a little nervous about going to a bigger com-
munity,” said Batten. “I’ve lived in small communi-
ties for the past eight years and I’m sure I’ll have to
make some adjustments.”
Batten added that watching her role model, her
mother, Nora Batten overcome the obstacles she has,
has helped her.
“My mom has overcome a lot of difficulties and
she’s given me this never say die attitude that has
pushed me,” said Batten. “She’s proven that no
matter the obstacles you can always overcome them
somehow.”
NASKEF area commands frock newly advanced petty officers
The Navy recently released results
for its spring advancement cycle.
Command representatives and sup-
porters attended a ceremony held in
Andrews' Theater, Friday to frock and
congratulate the following Sailors on
their advancement to the below listed
paygrades.
Naval Media Center
J03 Johnathan Lemons
JO 1 Katrin Albritton
NATO SATCOM
EN2 Joshua Martin
PSD
PNl Christopher Duvall
NLMOD
AG2 David Eckhoff
AG2 Ryan Kertes
NCTS
IT3 Eric Barnett
IT3 Christine Beckman
IT3 Joshua Blair
IT3 Jarrod Day
IT3 ADAM Kotschi
1T3 Devin Lee
IC3 Jeffery Long
IT3 Joseph Maddox
IT2 Jennifer DeConti
EM2 David Weintraut
SKI Tina Adams
NAVAL HOSPITAL
HM3 Leslie Murphy
NASKEF
MA3 Nick Bowlin
MA3 Jennifer England
GM3 Jeffery Freeman
AE3 Matthew Gammon
CE3 Brian Handshy
MA3 Ryan Harig
A03 Kevin Kerston
SK3 Anthony Michalski
AD3 Deshawn Monroe
MA3 Robert Myers
LI3 Jeffery Ridlehoover
MA3Keila Rodriguez-Femandez
HT3 Brian Rogers
YN3 Megan Schrimsher
AC3 Joshua Strickland
MA3 Javier Velasquez
AC3 James Walker II
SK3 Arthur Wasilewski
UT3 Corry Weatherby
IT2 Jefferi Arenas
MA2 Jeffrey Arnold
MA2 Adam Backus'
AC2 James Bass
SK2 Matthew Beeler
MA2 Obadiah Boardman
MA2 Michael Boyer
MA2 Trevor Clarke
MA2 Teresa Flores
MA2 Angela Forsman
MA2 Rodolfo Gallardo
MA2 Matthew Gardner
MA2 Christopher Gennai
SK2 Tiffany Georgokopoulos
MA2 Seth Greenberg
MA2 Justin Harrell
MA2 Chad Keilen
AC2 Michael Klein
MA2 Bradley Koch
MA2 Troy Kruse
MM2 Selina Kulak
MA2 Callie Long
PC2 Erin Manuel
MA2 Tyler McCourt
MA2 Michael Metzger
MA2 James Moore
AS2 Penny Namer
GM2 William Rioseco
AC2 Paul Russenberger
MA2 Natalie Sanders
AC2 Shane Schroeder
MA2 Dane Slaymaker
MA2 Allesha Smith
TM2* Maria Smith
A02 Robert Thompson
MA2 Keilen Williams
TM1 Joseph Delaune
FC1 Johsua Finnan
MA1 Craig Martin
MAI Hector Medina
CE1 Steven Pyska
YN1 Ronnie Sallywhite
CFK/AIMD
IT3 Austin Ament
MM3 Matthew Harmier
YN3 Terrol Lemon
MR3 Lucas McArdle
IT3 Rodrick Neal
CT03 Emily Pinkerton
AW2 Kyle Bartlett
AW2 Philip Digregorio
AM2 Matthew Duke
PR2 Marty Gruver
AW2 Jeffrey Kolb
AW2 James Reisen
AS2 Teresa Sanchez-Arias
AE2 Charles Webster
ATI Michelle Arnold
ADI David Terrell
CTOl Kelly Wilborn
IDF
IT3 Michael Poulsen
Page 14
The White Falcon
May 19, 2004