Talk of the Neighborhood highlights Central Texans’ achievements.

* Class Acts *

* Rhonda Freeman Francis (right) of Austin, the daughter of Lynda Freeman of Waco, earned a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice from Huston-Tillotson University. She received an associate’s degree from McLennan Community College in 2006. She has two daughters, DeShira and Shara Freeman.

* SaLetha Staples (left) of Waco earned a bachelor of arts in business administration at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin. She participated in the National Association of Black Accountants, Phi Beta Lambda (business honor society), Student Government Association, and Pre-Alumni Council.

She also served as president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Upsilon Alpha Chapter. She is the daughter of Patrick and Debra Staples of Waco.

* Cayla Rene Ramon, a 2006 graduate of China Spring High School, graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology. She minored in Spanish.

She will pursue a master’s degree. She is the daughter of Maurice and Carla Ramon.

* Four Midway High School teams won highest honors in year-end standings of this year’s WordMasters Challenge, a national competition for high school students requiring reading and analysis of different kinds of prose and poetry.

Participating with 544 other school teams, Midway’s ninth-graders placed 10th in the nation in the cumulative standings at the end of the four meets during the year. The school’s 10th-graders placed fourth, its 11th-graders finished third, and its 12th-graders tied for sixth. The teams were supervised by Marsha Alvarado and the students’ English teachers.

Sophomore Paul Koester, who made only six mistakes in the four meets, was one of the three highest-ranked 10th-graders in the country in the year-end standings. Teammate Allison Schroeder placed among the 12 highest-ranked 10th-graders nationwide.

Students getting high honors in the year’s final meet were: Junior Dyllin Black, with a perfect score (only 19 juniors did so); sophomores Emily Payson and Haley Clark, junior Jessie Meyer and senior Casey Houser all earned near-perfect scores and placed, respectively, among the 84 highest-scoring 10th-graders, the 73 highest-scoring 11th-graders, and the 78 highest-scoring 12th-graders nationwide.

Freshmen Autumn Hulbert, Chance McGilvray, Kaylie Meek, Jeremy Petersen, Camille Plemmons and Allie McDonald received honorable mention.

* Jenny Dagley of Waco and Violet Harcrow of Elm Mott received associate of applied science degrees from the Temple College dental hygiene program.

* Kristen Schuetz of Waco, a senior at Berry College in Rome, Ga., was named to the dean’s list. Her major is interdisciplinary studies.

* Applause *

* Dr. Michael O’Bric of Woodway was honored by the Elizabeth Gordon Bradley Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution with its Community Service Award for his promotion of patriotism in the Waco area.