Our Good Shepherd high school seniors are contributing to the community and church and 
making us proud with their senior projects. 

Donna Blekfeld-Sztraky's project was expanding the worldwide Daffodil Project that honors children who were Holocaust victims. Last November Donna planted 360 daffodil bulbs in a garden outside City Hall; it was dedicated on March 16 with a program attended by almost a hundred people. The most moving part of the program was a brief speech by 88-year-old Jaap Groen, who was interned at four camps including Auschwitz. He thanked Donna warmly for her efforts to keep alive the memories of the 1.5 million children who died during the Holocaust.

In college Donna may study medicine, probably attending UNC Asheville.

AJ Bruce, mentored by Dave Smucker, created a beautiful iron Celtic cross that he has given to the church. The cross, which measures 22.5 inches high and 15.5 inches across and weighs about seven pounds, hangs in the chapel. AJ invested 21 hours in his project, including time required for him and Dave to make special tools needed to complete the design. Dave says of AJ and his work: “Show him how to do something once—and he can do it!”

AJ plans to attend Western Carolina University and major in Natural Resource Conservation 
and Management (forestry).