With the end of the year right around the corner, 15 student’s hard work throughout the school year has finally paid off. Ranging from a variety of different subjects offered on campus from mathematics to visual arts, one stand-out student was awarded within each department.  

On May 11 from 6-8 p.m., an award ceremony was held in the Texas High School Student Center. Unlike in the past, a dinner was not hosted due to COVID-19 protocols. Despite these circumstances, all 15 award recipients were recognized for their many achievements they’ve made both on and off campus. 

Molly Laird- Band 

“I’ve pushed forward in band all the way to this year, and I was one chair away from making All-State. I have three instruments on my belt, I’m in every single ensemble that a band student can be in and I’ve been section leader this year. I’ve done everything to pursue my career in music.”

Zachary Doty- Broadcasting Journalism  

“I’ve always been interested in media. Broadcasting journalism has taught me what I want to do in the next chapter of my life. Mr. A can always count on me to be there for him whenever he needs something. During all of our spring sports, I’ve had a major role in anchoring every setup by making sure everything runs smoothly and will be good for revision.”

Iris Gonzalez- Career & Technology  

“I have more experience now with certain programs that I never thought I would use, but they’ll certainly come in handy whenever I go off to college. I care a lot about my grades, and I work hard. Specifically, we focus on preparing ourselves to work on certain programs to get more of an idea on how they work.”

Jeremy Creek- Choral Music 

“I’ve developed a lot of different skills vocally over the last three years. It’s been a lot of fun. I really liked the all region process, that’s been something I’ve enjoyed competing in. The UIL competition that’s also really fun. I think I was probably recognized because of my fourth chair position.”

Assad Malik- Converged Media 

“For the past three years, a lot of my work went unnoticed because it’s a lot of the behind the scenes efforts that most people don’t bat an eye to, they’re just like, ‘oh that video or photo looks cool,’ but they don’t realize that it could take weeks to produce something like that. Having this award helps me know that people are actually understanding what goes into the work I do.”

Charli Hueter- English  

“Growing up I’ve loved writing, and I’ve just always had a passion for literature. I was really excited when I found out that I was going to be recognized for English because I’ve had a natural affinity for it. We can communicate emotion without having to actually be there in person, and we can help transmit ideas that may be difficult to digest, in a way that can get out to lots of people.”

Alan Olvera- Foreign Language 

“Receiving this prestigious recognition opens my eyes to see that all of my hard work and all the stress I’ve endured this past year has all paid off. I am bilingual so I do speak both Spanish and English fluently. I decided to take Spanish so I could better my grammar and learn a lot more about my culture. I definitely think I was chosen for this award because of how hard I work.”

Peyton Sims– Journalism 

“Journalism has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and view the world around me from numerous different perspectives. Being the newspaper editor-in-chief, I’ve learned so much about the importance of leadership. I’m beyond grateful for being recognized for this award because to me, journalism is much more than an extracurricular, but instead my passion.”

Korie Hamilton- Leadership 

“This award means a lot to me because it makes me feel seen by my community, and to know that others see you doing the right thing. Leadership has taught me how to communicate with others, and how to make others feel included even if it’s just for a silly game. I’ve ran this club and program for the 20-21 school year, and I have done it with pride and honor.”

Nathan Morriss- Mathematics  

“I was very happy to know that I received this award. This means that not only do I, but the teachers also know I’ve grinded. I’ve been in calculus for the past two years, and I’ve learned a lot of applicable math concepts that will help me both in the real world and my job. I think it comes down largely to my commitment to calculus in particular. I’m always trying to beat out my peers with just enough of a fun competitive side.”

Jenna Woodard- Science 

“I like doing experiments in those classes. I’m hoping to be an engineer so I could use science in order to test different things. If I decided that I want to be a biomedical engineer I could take all of that learning and also apply to the engineering process specifically for how the body works, how different chemical reactions happen, and things like that.”

MaryGrace McAfee- Social Studies  

“Social studies is one of my biggest passions. I’m in the three social studies clubs that Texas High offers: UIL history, political society and history club, and I hold a position in all of them. I think it’s really important to look into the history behind things when you’re trying to understand others, even in the medical field.”

Macy Sloan- Speech & Debate  

“After four years, I feel like I’ve helped bring up the Speech and Debate program a little bit from where it was by helping train especially the freshmen. I’ve learned a lot about how to be more competent because when I came in, during ninth grade, I was really shy and in my shell, that’s not really allowed in speech.”

Cate Rounds- Theater  

“I’m really thankful for my family because, a lot of families want their kids to go for something that’s a little bit more stable, but my parents have always pushed me to go for what I wanted to do at the moment. They took me to all of my auditions, rehearsals, they’ve come to all of my shows, and they’ve always made sure that I’ve had all the resources available to continue this all throughout high school.”

Britney Ankton- Visual Arts  

“For me, receiving this recognition means a lot. I’ve always been really into art and have always looked at it as a personal, private, hobby, so it’s nice to see my pieces being displayed and noticed by others. But it’s truly an honor seeing my hard work and dedication being noticed in something I love pouring time into. Through art, I’ve really just learned to appreciate life around me.”