The 31 members of The State Journal's 1998 All-Academic team have been hard at work the past 10 years. Most have earned multiple degrees, which they have launched into successful careers across the U.S. From engineers who remained in Frankfort to screenwriters thriving in L.A., they continue their success.
Franklin County High School
Kara Sheridan, 28, attended Wright State University where she received a psychology degree in 2003. She continued her education at Nova Southeastern where she received her master's in clinical psychology. Sheridan is still in school, pursuing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She expects to finish in 2009.
She is currently a freelance writer for disability organizations and is also a psychotherapist in the psychiatric center at a children's hospital in Miami, Fla.
Adam Luhrs, 28, graduated from Bellarmine College in 2002 with a degree in English with minors in Spanish and philosophy. He is currently an insurance claims adjuster for Progressive Auto Insurance. He lives in Oldham County with his wife and child.
Melissa Forman, 28, graduated from Murray State University in 2002 with a degree in animal science (with an equine concentration) and agricultural education. She married in 2002 after graduation. She lives in Shelbyville with her husband (who is also a veterinarian) and is expecting her first child.
Dan Dikinson, 28, started out at the University of Miami in Florida and transferred to Purdue University where he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 2003. He is a software engineer at Lexmark in Lexington.
Rhonda Hillard, 27, graduated in 2003 from Northern Kentucky University with a bachelor's in accounting. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and works for Columbia Sussex Corporation as a sales tax specialist.
Hayley Lynch, 26 attended Hollins University in Roanoke, Va., and graduated with a double major in English and creative writing and women's studies in 2003. Following this, she moved to Seoul, South Korea, where she taught English to kindergarteners for 1 1/2 years at a private school.
Now in Frankfort, she is a writer for the Department of Fish and Wildlife magazine, Kentucky Afield, and is a contributing writer for Kentucky Monthly Magazine. She also writes columns for area newspapers.
Chris Vandergrift, 28, attended the University of Kentucky and received a degree in electrical engineering in 2003. He lives in Lexington where he is a design engineer for Square D. Company.
Jeremiah Davis, 27, received a bachelor's in history and classics from the University of Kentucky in 2003. He lives on a farm in Wayne County, W.Va. He works in the business office of the Hermitage of the Holy Cross, a Russian Orthodox Christian monastery adjacent to the farm which produces and sells soap, incense and religious goods. He married Margaret Fannin in 2003.
Natalie Stroupe, 27, graduated in 2002 from the University of Chicago with a bachelor's in psychology. She then moved to Lexington where she worked at the Shiner's Hospital for Children from 2003 to 2006. In 2006 she started the Ph.D. program at the University of Kansas to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology.
She currently lives in Lawrence, Kan., and is working as a graduate research assistant while she continues her education.
Jeremy Triplett, 28, received a degree in chemistry from the University of Kentucky in 2002. He works in the Frankfort crime lab for Kentucky State Police. In 2006 he married Julia Hippe and they currently live in downtown Frankfort.
R. Warren Anderson, who moved with his family to Russia shortly after graduation, could not be reached.
Western Hills High School
Bo R. Bielefeldt, 27, attended the University of Kentucky for three and a half years and Kentucky State University for one. He lives in Frankfort where he is a medical data entry operator for a Fortune 500 Company. He is also a youth minister and Bible study leader at his church in Lexington.
Angela Cornett, 28, graduated from Midway College with a bachelor's in English in 2002. She is currently attending the University of Louisville and is in the process of completing her first year of graduate school. She is working on her master's in sociology and has plans of continuing her education to receive a doctorate in sociology or religious studies. She lives in Louisville where she is a graduate teaching assistant for the Department of Sociology at U of L.
Kristin (Burch) Jackson, 28, graduated cum laude from the University of Dayton with a bachelor's in exercise science and pre-physical therapy in 2002. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Kentucky with a master's in physical therapy in 2006. She is currently working on her doctorate in physical therapy at UK and is expected to graduate in May 2009. She lives in Louisville with her husband, Lance, where she works as a physical therapist in the outpatient department at Baptist Hospital East.
Mark McKinney, 28, graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor's in economics in 2002. He went on to earn a master's in business from Texas A & M in 2007. He lives in Houston where he works for Conoco Phillips.
Sarah (Green) Robinson, 28, graduated cum laude from Centre College with a bachelor's in economics and a minor in mathematics in 2002. She received the Harry T. Landreth Price award for economics in 2002. She played women's basketball for Centre and received several awards: Female Athlete of the Year (2001-2002); MVP of Centre College women's basketball team for the 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 seasons; was named All-SCAC Second Team (1999-2000); and All-SCAC First Team (2000-2001, 2001-2002). She and her husband, Josh, live in Frankfort where she works at Charles T. Mitchell Company. She is also the assistant basketball coach for the Frankfort Middle School boys' basketball team.
Holly Sebastian, 27, graduated cum laude from Eastern Kentucky University with a bachelor's in environmental health science in 2002. She was a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society and Epsilon Nu Eta Environmental Honor Society and she also received the Environmental Health Science Leadership Award. She is working on her master's in public health online from the University of South Florida. Currently, she is stationed at the Food and Drug Administration in Denver, Colo., where she is a consumer safety officer.
Eric Shields, 28, graduated summa cum laude from the University of Kentucky with bachelor's in history and English in 2002, receiving a National Merit Scholarship and departmental honors. In 2005, he graduated summa cum laude from UK with a bachelor's in English education, and in 2006, he graduated summa cum laude with a master's in English education.
He attended the University of South Carolina for one year on a graduate fellowship and studied baseball history, but left to join AmeriCorps. During his time with AmeriCorps, he worked as a carpenter for Habitat for Humanity.
After leaving AmeriCorps, he finished his education and became a teacher. He lives in Frankfort, with his wife, Beth, and daughter, Rory. He teaches English at his alma mater where he is also the boy's tennis coach.
Andrew Sturtevant, 28, graduated from Georgetown College with a bachelor's in history and philosophy in 2002. In 2005, he graduated with a master's in history from the College of William and Mary. He is currently a doctorate candidate working on his dissertation in history at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
Valerie (Scheil) Justice, 27, graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor's in agricultural biotechnology with a secondary major in biology in 2002. She then attended the UK College of Dentistry and received her doctorate in dental medicine in 2006. She lives in Lexington where she is a dentist at South Farm Family Dentistry.
Kevin Michael Bush and Tracy Brown did not return messages for this update. Chris Dobbs could not be reached.
Frankfort High School
Alice Lynn Collins, 28, graduated from Guilford College, in Greensboro N.C., with a bachelor's in psychology in 2002. She is a student at Kentucky State University and will graduate in May as a certified nurse practitioner. She lives in Waddy with her husband of three years, George William Harrod III, and their 17-month old son, Tylan.
Shea Ellis Hogan, 28, graduated from Colorado College with a bachelor's in geology in 2002. She is working for the Division for Air Quality as an environmental technologist. She lives in Frankfort and is engaged.
Patricia Dobbins MacDonald, 28, graduated from Georgetown College with a bachelor's in business marketing and computer science in 2002. She is working for the Kentucky Disability Determination Department and lives in Frankfort with her husband, Jonathon MacDonald.
Mary Elaine Morales, 28, graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., with a bachelor's in theatre and a minor in music in 2002. She lives in Los Angeles, Ca., where she works as an actress and singer-songwriter.
Lydia Reynolds, 28, graduated from Transylvania University with a bachelor's in accounting in 2002. She is working in Owenton at Actaris U.S. Gas as the general accountant. She lives in Frankfort with her boyfriend, three dogs and a parrot.
Melissa Anne Scrivner, 28, graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor's in theatre and Russian in 2002. She then attended New York University where she received her master's in English Literature. She is working in Los Angeles, Ca., as a writer for the NBC television show "Life."
Sarah Elizabeth Pierce and Lindsey Nichole Wise could not be reached for comment.