Discus Awards

Today, we celebrate the Don Drapers of the world, or the Leo Burnetts of the real world (no, not the MTV reality show), with an advertising campaign that should have been, created by Discus Award winner Mitchell Herrmann for his television production class.  Clearly evidenced by this fantastically-done spot, Mitchell has a career in advertising in his future if he chooses to pursue it.  Watch Mitchell's 50-second film noir Dr. Pepper commercial below.  Oh, and Dr. Pepper, on Mitchell's behalf, we say "you're welcome".

Filed under: Discus Dan • All-Around High School Students • Discus Award Winner Video of the Day

Discus Award winner Emily Smith excels in academics, athletics, and community service, but it is her artistic ability that is the focus of today's Winner Picture of the Day.

As the seasons change, we leave it to the talent of Ms. Smith to capture that transformation. She brings us up-close-and-personal with nature's beauty by combining her photography skills and digital editing savvy to capture morning dew on leaves in this black and white gem.

Filed under: Discus Dan • All-Around High School Students • Discus Award Winner Picture of the Day

You may have already noticed a few changes to the Discus Awards website and recognition and scholarship program.  If you haven't, then this post will help you understand just how hard we've been working to provide outstanding students with high school recognition and college scholarship opportunities!

The first major change we've made to our program that I'd like to share with you today is the addition of network scholarships.  These scholarships, administered by our partner SAGE Scholars, represent a guaranteed minimum scholarship at any school within the Discus Network.  Unfortunately, for you high school seniors, students are only eligible to receive network scholarships through their junior year.  However, we still have our open scholarships for you seniors!

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Filed under: Discus Dan

Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Gershwin, Leung.  These are the titans of the classical piano, but not all are created equal.  Sherman Leung is the only name on that list that has been recognized by the Discus Awards for all-around excellence, in his case, for achievements in technology, arts, and faith.

In today's Winner Videos of the Day, Sherman pays homage to two of his classical peers: Beethoven and Chopin.  The first video, Sherman's performance of Beethoven's Sonata in C#, begins 24 seconds in.  Warning: Your face may be melted by Mr. Leung's skills.  Then, don't miss Sherman's encore of Chopin's Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor.  Enjoy!

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Filed under: Discus Dan • All-Around High School Students • Discus Award Winner Video of the Day

Ralph Macchio, move over, there's a new Karate Kid in town.  Her name is Stephany Kim, she's a Discus Award winner for her achievements in academics, work, and athletics, and she's a one-girl wrecking machine.  In the words of 1970s funk singer Carl Douglas, Stephany's kicks are "fast as lightning".  Lucky for us, someone who had a camera with a fast shutter was able to snap a picture of Stephany in action.  This picture of Stephany's high-flying athleticism was taken at the 6th Worlds Taekwondo Championships in Vladivostok, Russia, where she placed 8th among 40 countries.

Filed under: Discus Dan • All-Around High School Students • Discus Award Winner Picture of the Day