With caps and gowns in hand, some of the top high school students in the area posed for pictures with their peers and shared a luncheon specifically held in their honor. The area's top students representing their high schools were honored at the 2016 Annual Best of the Class held at Southeast Community College on Thursday, May 5, 2016.

In the morning, students interacted with other students as Channel 8 KLKN-TV camera crews recorded them to be incorporated into Best of the Class commercial announcements, which will air on Channel 8 KLKN-TV.  Students posed for group pictures before being treated to a short program and a luncheon catered by Raising Cane's.  The luncheon program was hosted by Channel 8 Eyewitness News anchors Rod Fowler and Megan Conway. 

Southeast Community College, and Raising Cane's sponsored the event along with Channel 8 KLKN-TV.  

See below for the list of the names of the students honored and their high school. 

First Name - Last Name - School 

Trevin Ball - Lincoln North Star High School 

Elijah Beed - Palmer High School

Avery Behrens - Dorchester High School 

Melea Birkel - David City High School 

Jamie Bish - Aurora High School 

Bailey Bruha - Crete High School 

Alexa Bruick - Seward High School 

Kyley Burkey - Lincoln Southeast High School 

Riley Butler - Superior High School 

Jordan Case - Parkview Christian School 

Rozlyn Cole - Southern Public Schools 

Emily Covert - Centennial High School 

Kelsie DeBaets - Malcolm High School 

Lydia Dexter - Raymond Central High School 

Madeline Diedrichsen - Malcolm High School 

Katie Drozda - Pius X High School 

Janey Due - Exeter-Milligan High School 

Bryce Eigsti - Friend High School 

Molly Engebretson - Crete High School 

Nathaniel Ewart - Nebraska Lutheran High School 

Justin Fay - Grand Island Northwest High School 

Jared Fletcher - York High School 

McKenna Friesen - Heartland Community Schools 

Thomas Graul - Lincoln Southeast High School 

McKenna Griess - Sutton High School 

Jenna Griffith - College View Academy 

Hailee Hanthorn - Sutton High School 

Austin Haufle Wilber-Clatonia High School 

Wendi Haufle Wilber-Clatonia High School 

Rebecca Hayward - Raymond Central High School 

Kenna Heath - Seward High School 

Spencer Herman - Fullerton High School 

Haley Huebert - Heartland Community Schools 

Braly Keller - Lincoln Northeast High School 

Kassie Kent - Thayer Central High School 

Ian Kernes - Norris High School 

Halle Knigge - Fairbury High School 

Victoria Koos - Tri County High School 

Brooke Lampe - Lincoln North Star High School 

Alan Lee - Lincoln East High School

Samantha Leyden - Norris High School 

Trevor Lockard - Lincoln Christian School 

Brooke Massa - Meridian High School 

Sean McVeigh - Parkview Christian School 

Emily Meints - Southern Public Schools 

Fatima Mohammed - Lincoln Northeast High School 

Shelby Mueller - Grand Island Northwest High School 

Catherine Napolitano - Lincoln East High School

Christopher Nelson - Dorchester High School 

Sophie Niemeier - Friend High School 

Jenna Oberhauser - Twin River High School 

Ashton O'Brien - Fillmore Central High School 

Katelin O'Connor - Grand Island Central Catholic 

Hannah O'Neill - Lincoln Southwest High School 

Faith Otte - Nebraska Lutheran High School 

Rachel Page - Freeman High School 

Spencer Papik - Exeter-Milligan High School 

Macy Peregrine - Fullerton High School 

Austin Ragland - Beatrice High School 

Nate Rasmussen - Fillmore Central High School 

Abigail Reitz - Milford High School 

Allison Riley - York High School 

Kathleen Roth - Deshler High School 

Jennifer Russell - Waverly High School 

Kayla Safarik - Elba High School 

Maya Samal - Lincoln Southwest High School 

Marissa Sandman - Beatrice High School 

Kolten Schnack - Milford High School 

Kaitlyn Schultis - Diller-Odell High School 

Harley Schuster - Superior High School 

Jacob Shiers - Lincoln Southwest High School 

Therese Sievert - Pius X High School 

Demetrius Sigowa - College View Academy 

Sydney Skupa - Silver Lake High School 

Kelsey Snyder - Fairbury High School 

Eshan Sood - Grand Island Central Catholic 

Paige Steinbauer - Lincoln Lutheran High School 

Connor Strange - Waverly High School 

Reagan Uhlmann - Lincoln Northeast High School 

Wesley Unger - David City High School 

Katelyn Unvert - Freeman High School 

Caleb Utter - Centennial High School 

Rachel Van Cott - Lincoln Christian School 

Josie Weise - Tri County High School 

Paige Wergin - Aurora High School 

Joshua Wetovick - Fullerton High School 

Simon Wiedel - Thayer Central High School 

Clay Yungdahl - Cross County High School 

Theresa Zarybnicky - Diller-Odell High School 

Caleb Ziems - Lincoln Lutheran High School