Five local students from Whitehall, Northampton, Catasauqua and Lehigh Valley Christian high schools are among the 29 graduating seniors who are recipients of the 2013 Donley Awards for Excellence.

The Lehigh Valley area students were honored at a celebration held April 15 at the Best Western Plus Lehigh Valley in Hanover, Northampton County.

The awards are made in honor of Edward Donley, former chairman of Air Products and Chemicals Inc., and are presented to students selected for outstanding academic performance as well as leadership and community service.

Zac Edwards, Catasauqua High School senior, ranks first in his class of 125 students. Having achieved distinguished honor roll status during all marking periods, he is now vice president of the school's chapter of the National Honor Society.

He has received the Robert Edwards Memorial Scholarship Award, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership and Character Award and the Cohen & Feeley Best of the Best Scholarship Award. He was named Student of the Semester at CHS during his freshman, sophomore and senior years.

His extracurricular activities have included serving as a Middle States Committee member and volunteering for Haunt for Hunger, Turkey Day bonfire and the Sheckler Elementary Halloween Parade. He has also been a parking lot assistant and chain crew member at school district football games.

In the community, he has volunteered at the Special Olympics and has coached youth basketball and baseball teams.

He plans to study accounting at Lebanon Valley College.

Sydney Shambo is a Whitehall High School student who also attends Lehigh Career & Technical Institute. She has earned a GPA of 4.281 and maintains high honor roll status

A member of National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta National Mathematical Honor Society, she has been named the LCTI Advertising Design and Commercial Art Student of the Month.

She has been recognized as a National Honor Student by the U.S. Achievement Academy.

At school, she is president of the art club. She was a Pennsylvania DECA District 7 representative and a National Officer Team voting delegate.

Outside of school, she is a senior member of the Accent Dance Ensemble and works as lead airbrush artist for Kaman's Art Shoppes at Dorney Park.

Shambo has volunteered with the Whitehall Fire Department, WHS Theatre, Christmas Project and Skittles Probability Elementary School Demonstration. She is a teacher and host for the Accent Dance Ensemble.

She plans to attend Full Sail University where she will study computer animation.

Molly Yandrofski is ranked first in the Class of 2013 at Lehigh Valley Christian High School, Catasauqua. The Lehighton resident has a GPA of 4.3.

She received the Elmira College Key Award.

At LVCHS, she has served as secretary of her class in the past and is currently the class treasurer. She is a member of Future Business Leaders of America and was prom committee chairman. She was a girls soccer team scorekeeper and works as manager of the school snack shop. She is active in a girls' Bible study group and volunteers during school service days.

In the community, Yandrofski is a ballet teacher for elementary students and volunteers at Push the Rock volleyball tournaments, Victory Valley Day Camp, Word of Life Inn and Conference Center and Bethel Bible Fellowship Church.

She also spearheaded a student effort to provide meals to homeless people.

Yandrofski plans to attend Word of Life Bible Institute where she will major in Biblical studies.

Nicholas Wachter, a Northampton Area High School senior, is ranked 12th in his class of 439. He has a GPA of 4.32.

He consistently earns honor roll distinction and serves as treasurer of the National Honor Society.

He was selected as a U.S. Senate Youth State finalist and was the second-place winner of the VFW Voice of Democracy Essay Contest.

Wachter is president of the Class of 2013 and also of DECA. He is the Pennsylvania DECA state reporter, drama club president, SADD Red Ribbon Week chairman and NAHS Toys for Tots coordinator and founder. Other school activities include varsity golf, Caring Kids and student council representative.

In the community, he has volunteered at the Konkrete Kids Foundation Golf Tournament, the Dakota Galusha Memorial Fund Basketball Tournament and the Northampton Exchange Club Craft Show.

After graduation, Wachter plans to study marketing.

Anne Klepeiss, of Whitehall High School's Class of 2013, ranks third in a class of 368. She has a GPA of 4.541. She is secretary of Mu Alpha Theta and is a member of National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society and Math League.

She was named the February 2012 Girl of the Month by the Whitehall Women's Club and participated in the Lehigh Valley Youth Leadership Ethics Conference and is a peer mediator.

Klepeiss is captain of the varsity field hockey team and has also been active in pep club, weightlifting club and Leo Club.

In the community, she volunteers at Special Olympics events, the Feline Urban Rescue and Rehab Feline Finish Line, vacation Bible school, Relay for Life and in church youth group activities.

She will attend Penn State University where she plans to study biology.