Katie Dionne of The DaVinci Academy at South Hall Middle School in Gainesville received two awards for outstanding achievement at National History Day in Maryland on June 16.

She placed 11th in the nation for her Junior Individual Performance, "King Cotton Diplomacy: Confederate Foreign Relations Hanging by a Thread." She also received the special award for Outstanding Entry on the Civil War, sponsored by the Civil War Preservation Trust. Teacher, Kelly Schollaert, served as a mentor for the project.

National History Day is an academic program for elementary and secondary school students. Each year, more than half a million students, encouraged by thousands of teachers nationwide participate in the NHD contest.

n

The following local students were named to the dean's list at Brenau University for spring semester in the 2011 academic year:

Gainesville: Brittany Nicole Cochran, Robert Thomas Daniel, Heather A. Hammontree, Rachael Heidkamp, Tatiana M. Khudiakova, Amanda Rush Pichler, Kathleen V. Valpey, Twyla C. Bryant, Samantha C. Threadgill, Gay Anne Agnew, Emily Rachel Barnes, Jordan Paige Bryant, Ashley N. Long, Amber Ellen Price, Rachel E. Siegfried, Marjorie Uys, Jennifer Lynne Wilson, Katherine Leigh Hake, Ariel M. Simmons

Buford: Leslie Guinn Bush, Erin Allison Graham, Jessica Chelsea Kirby, Nicole Lynn Payne, Megan Lauren-Ashley Pinter

Commerce: Johanna Carolaine Reid

Flowery Branch: Maria Vladimir Deveau, Renee Hinson Hanna, Maggie Deluca Johnson, Amanda Elise Maddox

Gillsville: Emily Hope Fauscett, Lindsey Nicole Wood, Tina Mechele Yonce

Lula: Dodi K. Pritchett

Murrayville: Ashley N. McCoy

Pendergrass: Allison Victoria Murphy

Sautee-Nacoochee: Lindsey L. Wyszynski

Dean's list students must maintain a 3.6 grade-point average while carrying at least 15 semester hours of coursework.