Kevin Taylor of Flowery Branch has been named to the dean's list at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala. To be named to the dean's list, students must have a 4.0 grade-point average.

The following area students have been named to the Shorter College dean's list for the spring 2008 semester. The dean's list honors traditional students who complete a minimum of 12 semester hours and earn at least a 3.5 grade-point average for the term.

• Cassie Cross and Valhalla McGaughey of Flowery Branch, and Amanda Albertson, Stephen Cannon, Brandon Smith and Jared Williams of Gainesville.

The following area students have been named to the Shorter College Professional Studies dean's list, which honors students in Shorter's Professional Studies programs who complete a minimum of nine credit hours and earn at least a 3.5 grade-point average for the spring 2008 term.

• Johnathan Anderson of Gillsville and John Monday and Shawn Rainey of Flowery Branch.

The Gainesville Evening Optimist Club and the Cleveland-White County Optimist Club have awarded scholarships to Rachel Glazer, a ninth-grader at North Hall High School, to attend Learn to Live Together, an honors leadership academy at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton. Glazer is the 2008 winner of the Optimist International District (State) Essay Contest.

The following students graduated summa cum laude from Gainesville State College this past spring:

• Charles Bailey of Lula; Lynn Gerhard and Kelly Symmes of Cumming; Martha Lock of Maysville; Sonya Negley of Clermont; and William Wilkerson of Mount Airy.

The following students graduated magna cum laude:

• Cynthia Kinsey of Clermont; Lydia Lively of Maysville; and Holly Reynolds of Braselton.

The following students were recognized as honor students:

• Lisa Botticher of Winder; Kelli Gunn of Baldwin; Taylor Miller of Commerce; and Misty Compton of Flowery Branch.