• Van de Hoeve awarded for academic excellence

Cristina Van de Hoeve of Tyrone, Ga. was named one of the most accomplished summer quarter graduates of The Art Institute of Atlanta, the college for creative minds. During the college’s graduation event on Sept. 13, Van de Hoeve was presented with the Outstanding Academic Performance award in graphic design. The Outstanding Academic Performance award is presented to the graduate in each academic department with the highest grade point average and course proficiency within his or her chosen program. Van de Hoene graduated from The Art Institute of Atlanta with the bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design.

• Echevarria graduates from basic combat training

Army Pvt. Jefferey D. Echevarria has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises. He is the son of Daniel Echevarria and Cherlyn Gater, both of Fayetteville, Ga. Echevarria is a 2007 graduate of Sandy Creek High School, Tyrone, Ga.

• Local resident graduates from Johns Hopkins

Kiran Valiani of Fayetteville, Ga. graduated this spring from The Johns Hopkins University. Valiani is the daughter of Dr. Shirin Valiani and attended Starr's Mill High School in Fayetteville. Valiani majored in neuroscience. In all, just over 1,000 seniors earned their bachelor’s degrees this year from the university’s Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and Whiting School of Engineering, both located at the university’s Homewood campus in Baltimore.