Additionally, recognized students were given the opportunity to honor a teacher they credited for having a profound influence on their lives.

The ceremony was held Oct. 6 at the Iowa Memorial Union on the University of Iowa campus.

Students were invited to be recognized for exceptional performance in the Belin-Blank Center student talent search, for receiving scholarships for Belin-Blank Center summer residential gifted programs, for participating in the Summer Art or Writing Residency, for being a student research presenter at the Iowa Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, for being an awardee in the Invent Iowa State Invention Convention, participating in the STEM Excellence and Leadership program, or participating in the Secondary Student Training Program.

From Fort Dodge Senior High, Jordan Lennon, Blaze Lo, and Taeton Moore were recognized. They each participated in STEM programming through the center.

Also from FDSH, Katherine Berry was recognized for excellence in above-level testing. Berry selected Diane Pratt, retired TAG specialist at the middle school.

From Fort Dodge Middle School, Micah Flaherty, Jillian Lehman and Madeline Stephan were recognized for excellence in the above-level testing category. Flaherty chose Becky Daniel, a sixth-grade language arts teacher.