SHS students receive academic honors

Sandpoint High School students have been recognized for their academic and extracurricular achievements as Elks students of the month.

To be selected as an Elks student of the month, students must meet guidelines for character, citizenship, service, scholarship and leadership.

The Elks actively seeks to reward youth through many different programs including scholarship awards, Hoop Shoot tournaments, dictionary donations to third graders, drug awareness programs and many other activities and programs.

Sandpoint Elks Lodge awards thousands of dollars in scholarships and local students also received an additional money in state and national Elk scholarships. The Elks are the third-largest awarder of scholarships in the county and several students have received large scholarships from the state and national level of Elks.

Honored as November's top students at SHS were Jeremiah Palmer and Bria Rocke; honored as December's students of the month were Kale Wright and Mackenzie Mitchell; honored as January's students of the month were Hannah Ricks and Colby Dyke; and honored as March's students of the month were Hazel Pierce and Nathan Duke.

Bria Rocke

The daughter of Jordan Rocke and Jessica Rocke, Bria is a senior at Sandpoint High School. 

The Sandpoint High School girls swim team has won state back-to-back-to-back titles in swim and Bria Rocke has been a part of all of those teams. She is captain of the Sandpoint High School swim team and president of HOSA (Heath Occupations Students of America) and qualified and completed at nationals. 

She is ranked ninth in her class with a grade point average of 4.28.

Rocke plans to attend college to get her registered nursing degree, following by her nurse practitioner's degree. She then plans to move back to Sandpoint and eventually open her own practice to serve her community.

Kale Wright

The son of Erika and Alex Gray and Tracy Wright and Jenn Goff, Kale Wright is a senior at Sandpoint High School.

Kale Wright is a dedicated student-athlete at Sandpoint High School, where he has excelled both academically and in athletics. A four-year member of the SHS swim team, Kale has broken multiple team and one state record and has served as team captain for two years, demonstrating strong leadership and commitment. He maintains a strong academic standing with an impressive GPA and class ranking. After graduation, Kale plans to attend the University of Idaho to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, where he hopes to continue challenging himself both academically and athletically.

Hazel Pierce

A senior at Sandpoint High School, Hazel Pierce is the daughter of Ali and Nick Pierce.

Hazel Pierce has played volleyball since the fourth grade. She has played on the varsity team three of her four years of high school, serving as captain during her senior season. 

Pierce was honored as an academic athlete for her team in 2025. She has filled her schedule with AP and dual credit courses, finishing high school as a high honors student, ranked ninth out of 237 with a 4.2946 GPA. 

She plans to attend Boise State University in the fall with a full year of credits already completed. She has been awarded the Presidential Scholarship at Boise State and intends to major in chemistry with a forensics emphasis.

Nathan Duke

A senior at Sandpoint High School, Nathan Duke is the son of Mark Duke and Emily Duke.

Nathan Duke is a graduating senior from the class of 2026. He is graduating with high honors, as a top scholar, and as the salutatorian. He has an unweighted GPA of 4.0 and a weighted GPA of 4.3544. 

He is a member of the Sandpoint High School tennis team and enjoys mountain biking, skiing, and just about anything outdoors. 

After graduation, Nathan plans on first serving in a two year long mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 

After returning he then plans on attending Utah State University starting in the fall semester of 2028, where he plans on potentially pursuing a career in either aerospace or mechanical engineering.

    Duke
  

    Pierce
  

    Wright