Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The Tippecanoe Valley Distinguished Alumni Class of 2026 has been named.
The eight members of this year’s class join a noble group of Tippecanoe Valley graduates who have led successful lives while making substantial contributions to their chosen field of work or have provided outstanding service to their community, state or country, according to a news release from the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation. The Class of 2026 stands as a vivid example for all current and future students of what is possible for Tippecanoe Valley graduates.
The Class of 2026 includes:
• Six graduates of Tippecanoe Valley High School, Jordan Fraser (2015), Dr. Mark Holt (1979), Teresa Surface Jones (1991), Steve Miller (1998), Baylee (Kolesiak) Parker (2017) and Bryan Wong (2005).
• One graduate of Mentone High School, Jerry Secrist (1956).
• One graduate of Akron High School, Tom Weaver (1973).
A formal, catered dinner, sponsored by Lake City Bank and Creighton Brothers, will be held in honor of these individuals on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at Tippecanoe Valley High School. In addition to the meal, local radio personality Rita Price will interview those being honored. Each honoree will also recognize an educator that made a significant impact in his/her life.
The Tippecanoe Valley Distinguished Alumni Class of 2026 will participate in Induction Day activities at Tippecanoe Valley High School on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Induction Day will begin with a welcome breakfast, introductions, group pictures and an orientation to the day ahead. The honorees will spend the morning meeting with students to share information about their lives and chosen careers. They will eat lunch with the students, providing opportunities for small group and individual interactions.
In the afternoon, RTCtv will record individual interviews with the inductees. Induction Day will conclude with the introduction of the inductees at halftime of the home boys varsity basketball game. At that time, a commemorative plaque will be presented to each member of the Tippecanoe Valley Distinguished Alumni Class of 2026.
Lake City Bank and Creighton Brothers are the corporate sponsors of this year’s Tippecanoe Valley Distinguished Alumni Dinner and Induction Day activities.
Here are the brief biographies of each alumni, provided by the school corporation:
• Jordan Fraser is an eighth-generation Hoosier and graduate of Tippecanoe Valley High School’s Class of 2015. At TVHS, he served as senior class president and head manager for the state runner-up women’s basketball team. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Retail Management and a Master of Public Administration from Purdue University.
His career has taken him from Indiana’s heartland to Washington, D.C., where he has served as senior operations manager for Donald J. Trump for President and associate director of programming for the 60th Presidential Inauguration. His previous experience includes roles with the late Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (IN-02) and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita.
• Dr. Mark Holt, a Tippecanoe Valley High School Class of 1979 graduate, has achieved success in two fields. He started by excelling in high school, earning scholar honors and being a starting lineman for the successful TV football teams of 1977 and 1978. As a first-generation college student, he was one of only a few rising sophomores admitted after two years of college directly to Purdue's College of Veterinary Medicine, where he earned his DVM in 1985.
After over 30 years as a practicing large and small animal veterinarian in the Marion area, Holt made a career shift. Relying on experience and knowledge he gained from serving on the Board of Directors of First Farmers Bank & Trust (FFBT) since 1997, he joined the executive staff of FFBT in 2015, and by 2020, he had become the president and CEO of the bank, which is one of the largest agricultural lending banks, by the FDIC definition of an agriculture bank, east of the Mississippi River.
• Teresa Surface Jones, a TVHS graduate from the Class of 1991, has forged a career in journalism, marketing and education. A graduate of Ball State University with a degree in political science and a minor in telecommunications, Jones anchored the highest-rated local morning newscast in the nation and reported stories that aired on CNN. Her broadcasting career included covering national news events, interviewing public figures and moderating a congressional debate that aired on CSPAN.
After working in marketing and public relations in New York, she took time off to raise her two daughters. Jones then transitioned to education, developing curriculum and teaching speech and debate as well as teaching online history courses. In 2023 she returned to Indiana and eventually took on the role of director of the Kosciusko County Historical Society.
• Steve Miller, a TVHS graduate from the Class of 1998, has been with the Creighton Brothers farm business, working his way up to his current position as general manager/vice president. While he is a dedicated family man who prioritizes teaching his children integrity and a strong work ethic, he also dedicates his time to agricultural leadership, serving on the board of United Egg Producers and as vice president on the boards of the Indiana State Poultry Association and Kosciusko County Farm Bureau.
• Baylee Kolesiak Parker, a TVHS graduate from the Class of 2017, has channeled her personal experiences into a career dedicated to saving lives as an ASCP board certified cytologist. Inspired by her sister's battle with cancer, Parker chose a path to help others. Despite starting college later due to a car accident that caused a head injury, which made school challenging, she persevered through time and physical therapy.
Now practicing in Indianapolis, she has aided in the diagnosis of over 175 cancers and detected more than 550 precancerous lesions. She also serves as a cytologist for a nonprofit hospital that treats the low-income community.
• The late Jerry Secrist, a 1956 graduate of Mentone High School, was a community servant and entrepreneur. A multi-sport athlete in basketball and track, he founded his own business, Niff-Tone Distributors, which is still in operation and run by his son, Joe Secrist. Jerry also dedicated 25 years to coaching the Tippecanoe Valley Middle School girls basketball team, mentoring many of the greatest girls basketball athletes in Valley history.
He co-operated the local food bank with his wife for 35 years, under the name Mary & Jerry's Helping Hands, which assisted thousands of community members. He also served as a first responder and fireman, was a founding member of the Mentone Youth League and served on the Kosciusko County Fair Board for 10 years.
• Tom Weaver, the valedictorian of the Akron High School Class of 1973, is a grain farmer who has also served his community extensively. After a half- year at Manchester College, he returned to the family farm to help his father.
Tom and his wife Jill have four children, Erin, Emily, Adam, and Alex, and they all graduated from TVHS. Their family has hosted many foreign students, missionaries and friends in their home.
The Weaver Farm has grown many specialty crops, embraced modern technology, including solar power and advanced irrigation systems, increasing the farm size from 160 acres to 1,200 acres.
Weaver and his neighbors co-hosted the 1989 Prairie Farmer Farm Progress Show, a nationally known event that brought over 200,000 visitors to their farm. He has dedicated many years to the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, serving on the Akron School Improvement Team and for eight years on the school board. He represented Indiana for DuPont's National Young Leader Program and served as the Indiana District Representative for the Soybean Development Council.
• Bryan Wong, a TVHS graduate from the Class of 2005, is an individual who embodies excellence in athletics, engineering and personal discipline. A standout athlete at TVHS, he was one of the school's leading football rushers and continued his athletic and academic success at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
His athletic journey culminated in winning the 2022 CrossFit Games Champion title in his age division (35-39).
Professionally, Wong is a mechanical engineer at Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology, contributing technical expertise and leadership to life-changing innovations. A man of faith, he also serves his community by volunteering for the Safety and Seating teams at Warsaw Community Church.
