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On October 10th at Alma College's Homecoming celebrations, Bree Brownlee was awarded the 2009 Alma College Outstanding Young Alumni Award. The award recognizes recently graduated alumni (between 1 and 10 years) who have given faithful service to Alma College and their communities. Many in the highland community were also there to share in the day including Bree's former teachers, Bill & Liz Weaver, Kira (Cogswell) VanSteenkiste, Christie Freestone, Kate DeGood, and Ashley Davidson. Click here to read the full article (page 19).

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The Queen of Scots Dance Academy dancers, parents, and friends walked in their 4th annual American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on October 17th in Ann Arbor, MI. The QSDAers walk annually in this walk to raise funds and awareness for the disease, which their dance teacher, Bree Brownlee, is a 2 year survivor of. Along the route they handed out star wands to all of the survivors to show their support. Together they raised over $5,000! If you would like to donate to their cause, click here to make an online donation.

Earlier in October, they also spent some time walking for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to help raise funds and awareness for this disease which affects one of their dancers, Kinady Campbell. Together they raised over $1,000!

They would like to extend a HUGE thank-you to all of their highland friends who helped support them in these walks. "We never could have done it without you!"

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Kathleen Currie Hall, formerly of the Southeast region and most recently a dancer and teacher with the Columbus Highland Dancers, graduated with her PhD in Linguistics from the Ohio State University in August of 2009. She now joins the Eastern region as a professor at the College of Staten Island in NY.

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Timothy Blake has joined the US Air Force.  On Nov 17, 2009 he will be going to Texas for Basic Training. He will continue to dance while in the southwest.

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Beth Ogilvy's father, Bill Rogers (70 years of age), and brother, Kevin Rogers (50 years of age) are the current World Champions in the Heavy Athletics. The World Championship took place in Inverness this past July 2009.

It's the first time a father and son won- not to mention, they are American. Congrats!

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Kristie Leeman welcomed son Drew Scott Leeman at 5:33am on October 1, 2009. 7 1bs. 4oz. & 20 in. long.

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Hilary McKinney was engaged to boyfriend Josh Heiney the night before their trip to Scotland. They were high school sweethearts, and are planning a date for next summer. Congratulations Hilary!

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Lindsey MacLeod graduated with a B.Sc. Honours in Neuroscience from Edinburgh University this July, she will moving to London later this year and is planning on starting Medical School in 2010.

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Congratulations to new teachers Lindsay Recknagel and Erin Higginbotham on passing their BATD Members Exam.

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Lindsay Recknagel meets her Facebook friend Shendl Leahy in Johannesburg, South Africa face to face. Lindsay – 2^nd RU, 18 and Over, South African Championship.

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Mary Beth ("B") Klein recently moved to San Antonio, Texas.  Thank you West Region for a wonderful 5 years!

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The Western Region wish to send fond farewells and best wishes to Mary Beth Klein and her family as they move from our Region to San Antonio!  We've enjoyed having Mary Beth as part of the Western Region and wish her, Ken, Shavonne, and Sean all the best in their new home!

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Erica Robenalt graduated with highest honors from Sonoma Valley HS.  She is attending Wesleyan University in Connecticut on a full scholarship.

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Melissa Webster graduated from California Lutheran University in May 2009 with her Special Education Credential in Deaf/Hard of Hearing.  At graduation, she was awarded Student Teacher of the Year.  Melissa is now working towards her Masters in the Education of the Deaf.  She teaches a Deaf/Hard of Hearing Kindergarten class and enjoys every minute.  She hopes to someday create an after-school Theatre and Dance program for Deaf children.  Melissa lives in Long Beach, CA with her dog, Shiloh.

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Western Region teacher Tierney de la Lama just finished shooting a music video for Orianthi (the guitarist who was supposed to play for Michael Jackson's tour).  Watch for it on TV! 

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Elizabeth Grant, dance teacher in Chandler, Arizona, is getting married Saturday November 28th, 2009 to Kyle Reich, drummer for Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band. Dancers, pipers and drummers are sure to be in attendance at this Scottish wedding!

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Kyla Groeschel's student Melanie Roof graduated 3rd in her class from El Camino High School in Carmichael, California.  She was a member of the National Honor Society, received the Academic Excellence Award, Licium With High Honors (the highest achievable award El Camino gives out for a combination of volunteer hours, community service, high grades, number of AP classes, number of clubs joined and being a team captain), Presidents Award, California Scholarship Federation Member, and she was captain of Girl's Varsity Golf team for two consecutive years.  She is currently attending school at Dennison University in Granville, Ohio, and has declared pre-med as her major.

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Kyla Groeschel's School of Highland Dance held a wonderful fundraiser on Sunday August 30th in conjunction with Scottish singer Isla St Clair and the City of Sacramento Pipe Band.  The show was wonderfully received, and the funds raised will help fund scholarships in the Sacramento area.

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Devon Yip graduated from Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, California.  She is currently attending college in Folsom, California, and is studying to earn her degree in Pharmacology.

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Western Region dancer and teacher Connie Grant Heiney and husband Steve are excited first-time parents to Victoria Elizabeth (nicknamed Tori).  Tori was born 7-20-09, weighing 7 pounds 10 ounces.  She is a happy healthy baby.  Her most recent "trick" is to copy sounds -- you coo, she coos; you say "ahhh", she says "ahh"!  Congratulations to Connie, Steve and Tori.  We can't wait to see Tori on the dance stage!