Holly Pond’s Zackery Reynolds and Hanceville’s Cody Kanaday have been named the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 Students of the Year. 

Reynolds was selected as Student of the Year and Kanaday was chosen as the chamber’s Career Technical Student of the Year in a ceremony at the Chamber of Commerce that was broadcast on Facebook due to social distancing measures. 

Reynolds, a senior at Holly Pond High School, plans to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering at Bowdoin College in Maine, and wants to obtain a doctorate after receiving his undergraduate degree. He has been part of many clubs in his time in high school, along with being a member of the school’s track and cross country teams. 

Kanaday is a 2020 graduate of both Hanceville High School and Wallace State Community College, where he studied paralegal studies and to be a licensed Emergency Medical Technician. He also volunteers throughout the state of Alabama and assists with Cullman County athletic events.

Chamber Director of Entrepreneurship and Education Wesley Smith presented the two awards, and after announcing Reynolds as the Student of the Year, he congratulated both winners on their outstanding achievements as two of the county’s best students.  

“Your community is very proud of your accomplishments as a high school student,” he said. “Know that you and Cody both have a bright future ahead of you,” he said. 

Smith said the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce’s Students of the Year are chosen by a committee that looks for more than a high GPA. The committee  also reviews nominees’ submitted essays, test scores, community volunteer hours and letters of recommendation, along with conducting an in-person interview.

This year’s nominees for Student of the Year were:

Will Akin, Hanceville High School

Alyssa Harper, Fairview High School

Lillian Owens, West Point High School

Alyssa Jackson, Cold Springs High School

Zackery Reynolds, Holly Pond High School

Dallin Dinkle, Vinemont High School

Eli Phares, Good Hope High School

Anna Katherine Eastman, Cullman High School

This year’s nominees for Career Technical Student of the Year were:

Cody Kanaday, Hanceville High School

Jordan Tanner, West Point High School

Each nominee will receive an award for being selected as a Student of the Year candidate, and the two winners will receive a scholarship to Wallace State Community College and a prize package from the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce to go along with their Student of the Year awards.

As a congratulations to each student who was nominated for the award, Smith passed along a message from the members of the selection committee. 

“Every student nominated is very deserving of this award,” he said. “The committee know that each one of you have a very prosperous future.”