The Auburn School District Board of Directors recently recognized Stacy Swensrud, teacher at Arthur Jacobsen Elementary, for her outstanding service.

Swensrud has worked in Auburn for 14 years.

“I love working with kids, especially when they have that ‘aha’ moment and it clicks,” Swensrud said. “We have great parent involvement, a supportive staff and the kids are wonderful.”

Elsewhere

The school board also recognized Riel Benjamin, an eighth-grader at Rainier Middle School, for being an outstanding student. Benjamin believes in teamwork – at school and on the court. His favorite subjects are P.E. and history. Riel is active in basketball at school and with AAU. When not playing basketball, he spends his free time with friends, playing Xbox and participating in church activities. …

Anna Larsen was admitted to Cornell College, a national liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa, for next fall semester. …

The following students from Auburn have earned undergraduate degrees from Washington State University for fall semester: Manpreet Singh Bhandal (bachelor of science, civil engineering); Isaiah Evans (bachelor of arts, business administration); Jeffery Girmus (B.A., in sport management); Thom Hemenway (B.S., computer science); Katherine Keller (B.A., communication, cum laude); Shaun Knight (B.A., social sciences); Arturo Maya-Mendoza (B.S., mechanical engineering); LeAnne Nichole Mendoza (B.S., biology, magna cum laude); Christine Nye (B.A., social sciences); Marlo Pettie (B.A., hospitality business management); Daniel Pollastro (B.S., mechanical engineering, cum laude); Mariana Sanchez (B.S., genetics and cell biology); Anthony Sader (B.S., genetics and cell biology); Felisha Sebetich (B.A., business administration); Peter Sutherland (B.S., psychology); and Ryan Thompson (B.S., mechanical engineering, cum laude).