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Ashley Westbury and Henry Boeh are Chisago Lakes Area High School juniors who have done something no other juniors have done this year. They are the Chisago Lakes School District recipients of the ExCEL Award through the Minnesota State High School League.

One female and one male student from the junior classes of state high schools get this honor.

Boeh said it was nice to hear he’d been nominated by a school counselor, and even better to learn he was accepted. Westbury too said she wanted to thank her English instructor Lori Neslon for recommending her to the State High School League for the award. Besides being a good thing to have on college application forms, the award means the two will be recognized on television during the state hockey and basketball tournaments. Westbury and Boeh are still considering schools for post secondary education.

The state league sponsors the ExCEL award to give credit to juniors active in arts, sports and those who are volunteering in their community.

Westbury is the daughter of Scot and Jackie Scheldorf and Robert and step mother Rosemarie Westbury.

Boeh’s parents are Debra Sorenson-Boeh, Wyoming and Steve Boeh and Lisa Marshall of Woodbury.

Excerpts from their nominations show why the two were considered: Amy Malloy’s nomination explains that, “Henry leads by example, showing students how to earn good grades, how to be involved in school and how to act mature.”

And, of Westbury, Nelson wrote: “Ashley is a motivator, able to get others excited about projects that need to be done...she is not simply one of a group...but the only one that I would feel honored to recommend to you.”

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