COVINGTON, KY — Gateway Community and Technical College will recognize the exemplary academic, leadership and technical performance of 188 students, including 106 scholarship recipients, Tuesday at its annual Night of Excellence. The convocation will take place at 7 p.m. at Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills, Ky.

Rani Clark and David Strange, both of Ft. Thomas, received top honors as recipients of the J.D. Patton Award for academic and technical excellence. The Phi Theta Kappa academic honorary earned the award for best student organization of the year.

Recipients are selected by faculty and staff committees and academic divisions based on student performance. Individual students receiving awards, include:

Award Winner, City, Award Name

Courtney Griffith, Alexandria, Pharmacy Technician Award

Sarah Metcalf, Alexandria, Early Childhood Education Outstanding Academic 
       Achievement

ALEXANDRIA, KY (FOX19) - A fifth grader at Campbell County Elementary School has qualified to compete in the National Special Olympics Games Competition in Marietta, GA.

Ariana Perkins is one of over 120 athletes from all over the United States and Canada and in the competition on May 4 & 5 that will feature both artistic and rhythmic gymnastics.

Among the events Arian will be competing in for artistic gymnastics are the floor routine, vault, bars, and beam. She will also be competing in rhythmic gymnastics, a sport that combines elements of ballet, gymnastics, dance, and apparatus manipulation.

Events in this discipline will include routines using a rope, hoop, ball, and ribbon. Ariana previously competed in the Special Olympics State Artistic Games, bringing home gold medals in floor routine, bars, and all around, along with silver medals in vault and beam.

FORT THOMAS, KY (FOX19) - A teenage U.S. Air Force cadet has become a fully qualified and licensed FAA Private Pilot.

Christian Davis, 17, is now one step closer to becoming a U.S. Air Force pilot after he practiced taking off and landing procedures at Cincinnati Lunken Airport this week.

“He is an exceptional student” said the instructor. “But I am a bit nervous”. When asked if he was always nervous with students when they fly solo he stated “I am very confident of the students skill before turning them loose, but this student happens to be my son” said Stephen Davis.

Christian's father Stephen is also a pilot, and member of the Indiana Wing of the Civil Air Patrol.  “It is a great thing for father to be able to give his child a gift as great as the gift of flight” said Davis.