In the Spotlight

Byron T. Geslison received the Order of the Falcon, the highest honor bestowed by the government of Iceland. Brother Geslison, a member of the Spanish Fork Thirteenth Ward, Spanish Fork Utah Stake, helped open missionary work in Iceland in 1975 and has served three missions to that country. At a ceremony in Spanish Fork, Iceland’s ambassador, the Honorable Tomas Tomasson, presented the award to Brother Geslison, calling him “one of the outstanding western Icelanders.” Brother Geslison’s parents were both born in Iceland and immigrated to Spanish Fork as children.

Andrew Dittmer, a priest in the Vienna Ward, Oakton Virginia Stake, captured a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad held in Istanbul, Turkey. Andrew, who was one of four hundred thousand students competing in the three-stage event, solved six problems in nine hours. He received thirty-three points for his essay-type answers. Thirty points were required to qualify for the gold medal.

Richard B. Passey, a member of the Edmonds First Ward, Oklahoma City Oklahoma Stake, won the 1993 American Association for Clinical Chemistry award for outstanding contributions in education. Brother Passey is a professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. He is the center’s director of clinical chemistry and core laboratories, as well as director of resident training in clinical chemistry.

Faun Bandeka, an elementary school teacher and member of the Valley Ridge Ward, Kearns Utah West Stake, has received national recognition for her promotion of the Pledge of Allegiance Centennial. Sister Bandeka was awarded the New Constellation Award, the highest honor given by the National Flag Foundation. She also received the Valley Forge Teachers Medal, awarded by the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge.

Sharyn Dietrich, a member of the Jeffersonville Ward, New Albany Indiana Stake, was awarded the 1993 Indiana Youth Investment Award. Sister Dietrich helped develop a week-long camp for troubled teenage girls. The camp teaches values like faith, divine nature, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, individual worth, and integrity—all Young Women values. “That camp is just the Young Women program,” noted Sister Dietrich, who obtained approval from Church leaders to use the values in the camp program.