EDUCATION 2021 CELEBRATION2 | Education Celebration | 2021 Newspapers in Education (NIE) is a cooperative effort between area teachers and The Galveston County Daily News to promote the use of newspapers as an education resource. With the help of local businesses, The Daily News is able to provide students throughout Galveston County with an up-to- date living textbook. The NIE program has helped teachers discover innovative ways to use the newspaper as an effective and timely teaching tool in the classrooms, aside from the regular textbook. The program provides teachers with many curriculum guides for using the newspaper to achieve the best results in educating the youth of the community. The Daily News strives to employ the newspaper in the classroom as an effective and efficient tool, allowing teachers to help students become informed and involved citizens of their communities. The Daily News invites teachers from Galveston County schools to sign up and participate in the 2021-22 NIE program. For a participation request form, contact Yvonne Mascorro, circulation director, at 409-683-5264 or yvonne.mascorro@ galvnews.com. About Newspapers in Education Valedictions 3 Abundant Life Christian Academy: Mackenzie Serna 3 Ball High School: Shashank Kota 4 Bay Area Christian School: Shelby Peck 4 Clear Creek High School: Helen Ding 5 Clear Falls High School: Leopold Guo 5 Clear Springs High School: Alexis Rom 6 Dickinson High School: Thi Nguyen 6 Friendswood High School: Kaci Bridwell 7 High Island High School: Lindsay Miracle 7 Hitchcock High School: Courtney Lyn Hunter 8 La Marque High School: Rylie McCarty 8 O’Connell College Preperatory School: Nicholas Cortinas 9 Odyssey Academy: Jace Gidley 9 Texas City High School: Joshua Ivy 10 Message from GISD Scholarship Winners 1 2 Abundant Light Christian Academy: Marnae Haynes 12 Ball High School: Alexandra Vasut 13 Bay Area Christian School: Richard Farland 13 Clear Creek High School: Gabriel Hull 14 Clear Falls High School: Chloe’ Twymon 14 Clear Springs High School: Tre’vanni Bass 15 Dickinson High School: Deczarie Menguito 15 Friendswood High School: Rakel Hutchinson 16 High Island High School: Robert Stewart 16 Hitchcock High School: Taysia Bates 17 O’connell College Preparatory School: Nicholas Cortinas 17 Odyssey Academy: Adrian Diaz 18 Santa Fe High School: Macy Bertolinno Not included Santa Fe High School, Valedictorian La Marque High School, Scholarship Winner, Dorian Mathews Texas City High School, Scholarship Winner, Makayla Jaramillo CONTENTS2021 | Education Celebration | 3 MACKENZIE SERNA Abundant Life Christian Academy Valedictorian As I approach grad- uation, I look back at my life and realize all that I’ve accomplished. I have come so far from where I began. When I first entered high school, I had the illusion every- thing would be so easy. I was greatly mistaken. Throughout my high school years, I had to overcome many obsta- cles and trials. With the help of close friends and family, they made those hard times easier to overcome. Having them by my side every step of the way helped me to become who I am today and realize how grateful I am to have had such a healthy support system all my life. I was born Sept. 21, 2002 in Galveston, Texas. I was raised the majority of my life by my mother Marie Serna and grand- mother Esther Gonzales. At the age of 3, I dis- covered my passion for music and playing the piano. My biggest inspi- ration was my uncle, who also had a musical talent and love for theatre. After he passed, I contin- ued to pursue music and even became involved with my church. Over the years, I grew the desire to become a worship leader. This goal would become a reality before things began to change. All through my high school years both my grandmother and mother would be simul- taneously hospitalized. This taught me that no matter what life seems to throw at you, you can overcome it if you have the will power and moti- vation to do so. Now, as I start this new chapter of my life, I have come to realize what I want to do with my life and how I want to change the world. My dream now is to be a pediatric surgeon and help children around the globe who aren’t fortunate to always get proper medical care. I want those children to grow up and have the same desire that I do, to make an impact for the greater good. Knowing those children will have a second chance at life brings me joy and peace. It is the most amazing reward I can ever receive. SHASHANK KOTA Ball High School Valedictorian Shashank Kota was born and raised in Galveston with his older sister, Sumedha. His parents immigrated from India to the United States in 1999 and have supported him greatly throughout his journey. Shashank has partici- pated in many organiza- tions in and out of high school and has worked diligently to ensure that he has contributed to them positively. Some of his favorite organizations he has been a part of include UIL Computer Science, Taekwondo, Ball High Esports and Nation- al Math Honor Society. In addition to his strong pursuit for academic success, Shashank has a strong competitive drive. In his freshman year, Shashank founded the UIL Computer Science Club and participated in competitions across Texas. He has achieved multiple awards on the district level and, in March of 2020, won second place in both the individual and team competition at the Waller UIL Invitational. Additionally, his inter- est in computer science has extended outside of school. After teaching himself how to program at a young age, he de- veloped multiple phone applications that have amassed thousands of downloads. Shashank hopes to nurture his love for computer science through the Texas Com- puter Science and Busi- ness Honors program at the University of Texas at Austin next fall. Shashank is well-re- garded for his willingness to help others. At school, he never misses an opportunity to help his peers with homework. Shashank volunteered with a local elementary school to teach students how to code and how to use new technologies, such as virtual reality and drones. Shashank is deter- mined to make a lasting impact on his commu- nity. He aims to identify as many problems as he can and looks to find creative solutions to them. He is incredibly excited for what the future holds for him.4 | Education Celebration | 2021 SHELBY PECK Bay Area Christian School Valedictorian A Friendswood resi- dent, Shelby Peck has attended Bay Area Chris- tian School (BACS) for 12 years. She is a leader in the Student Council, National Beta Club and National Honor Society at her school. She is also a member of Varsity Golf, the Social Media team, the Chapel Praise Band and is involved in art. During her time at BACS, she has been awarded First Place in the school science fair for an experiment exam- ining the correlation of teen social media use and mental health. She also has received awards for Highest Average and has been recognized by faculty for Outstanding Student and Christian Character. She is an active member at First Baptist Church Friendswood where she has served as a volunteer leader for el- ementary, middle school and high school students as well as children with special needs. Shelby plans to attend Baylor University in the fall, majoring in Inter- national Studies and Political Science on the Pre-Law track. She received a total of $81,000 from Baylor in scholarships, was select- ed as a $1,000 National Beta Club scholarship finalist and was selected as a National Alliance of Christian Schools schol- arship semifinalist. She hopes to work in the government or an in- ternational office to help defend and advocate for children in situations of injustice. Shelby would like to thank God for being a foundation and guiding her in all aspects of her life; her parents for lov- ing her well and giving her endless support; her teachers for their care and dedication to her education; and her three siblings for always giving her a safe space at home. HELEN DING Clear Creek High School Valedictorian I was born in League City to two first-genera- tion immigrant parents who instilled in me the values of responsibility and studiousness from a young age. Growing up in a multicultural home, the experiences of both a Chinese and American childhood became the norm for me; the English that I used at school would make way for a mishmash of broken Chinese and English at home, where I indulged in pizza and jiaozi. The cultural dynamics of my childhood afforded me a unique outlook on life and has shaped a large part of who I am today, and for that I’m extremely grateful. My sister, older than me by almost 9 years, also played a large part in my formative years. She was (and still is) my best friend, and some- one who I admire great- ly. I remember watching her from the stands the year that she graduated from the very same high school, speaking the very same speech as the Valedictorian of her 2013 cohort. Her suc- cesses back then and now inspire me to do my best in everything that I put my efforts to, and it’s comforting be- yond words to have that kind of amazing exam- ple set out ahead of me. I enjoy science the most out of any school subject and that interest is reflected in my aca- demic activities; I have competed in Science Olympiad and Science UIL, winning distinctions in both competitions at the district level. In addition to these clubs, I’ve also been a mem- ber of the Chamber Orchestra for 3 years, where I play violin. When I have free time, I enjoy digital drawing, writing and listening to music. Next semester, I will go on to attend the University of Texas at Austin to study Biology on a premedical track. 2021 | Education Celebration | 5 LEOPOLD GUO Clear Falls High School Valedictorian Leopold Guo is the Clear Falls High School Valedictorian for the Class of 2021. Leopold has a history of academ- ic excellence, attending League City Intermedi- ate as part of the WAVE program in the past. As a 7th grader, he took the SAT through the Duke TIP program and ob- tained a full score on the math section. This trend continued as Leopold became one of Clear Falls’ three National Mer- it Semifinalists and was selected to be a National Merit Scholar. Outside of his aca- demic scores, he is also a varsity athlete, com- peting on the Varsity Golf Team for all four years, having played for a total of eight years. He also joins the LitterBugs Club, run by his calculus teacher Anthony Tran, to volunteer for a Thanks- giving Feast that is held for the custodians each year. Furthermore, he competes at Latin State as part of Latin Club, placing top 5 in several events. In addition, Leopold is a leader on campus. He is the president of the Ping Pong Club, National English Hon- or Society, Mu Alpha Theta and Science Club, through which he has enriched the academic competition program, organizing participation in many competitions. As President of Mu Alpha Theta, Leopold placed in region for the Log1 Competition and top 20 percent with his team in the Moody Math Chal- lenge. Also, Leopold is a State UIL Qualifier for Science UIL. As presi- dent of Science Club, he brought a team to District Science UIL, with the team placing first and Leopold placing first in district individually. In Regionals, Leopold placed first in Physics, advancing to state. He is now headed to the University of Tex- as at Austin in the fall, planning on majoring in Biomedical Engineering as part of the Engineer- ing Honors Program. ALEXIS ROM Clear Springs High School Valedictorian Alexis Rom is a grad- uate of Clear Springs High School. She will be attending the University of Texas at Austin in the fall to study Biology in pursuit of pre-med. Science and mathe- matics always have greatly interested her, which sparked her initial interest in the medical field. She hopes to become an anesthesi- ologist after obtaining her medical degree, as well as impacting the lives of her patients in a positive way. Her dedication to ac- ademics has proven her to be a driven student, therefore, pushing her to achieve. Aside from Alexis’s disciplined ac- ademic life, she enjoys helping the community and keeping up with an active social schedule. She has done count- less hours of volunteer work for the various clubs and honor soci- eties that she has been involved in for the past four years, which has allowed her to gain per- spective for those who are less fortunate. Alexis truly was touched when she was able to walk dogs at the League City Ani- mal Shelter because of her love for animals. It warms her heart to know that she is en- riching the lives of pets without homes, espe- cially since she adopted her cat from the same shelter. Alexis plans on re- maining consistent with her current habits while she attends college and when she begins working. As long as she keeps up her spirited determination and humble attitude, she will be able to reach all of the goals that she has set for herself to make a difference in the world.THI NGUYEN Dickinson High School Valedictorian On June 23, 2002, I was born as the young- est child of Ngoc Nguy- en and Han Nguyen. The first seven years of my life were filled with won- derful childhood mem- ories of me roaming the market in Song Cau, Vietnam as my mom sold clothes. I enjoyed spending afternoons at my maternal grand- parents’ home playing Power Rangers with my cousins. In late 2009, my parents announced we were moving to the U.S. My naive younger self imagined that our new beginnings would be filled with happiness and glory. Reality went crashing onto me as we squeezed accommoda- tion with relatives, felt the agony of learning a completely new lan- guage and culture and endured contempt as we barely understood English. Because my family had to restart from scratch, we were off to a rough start. My parents sacri- ficed almost everything, working restlessly to improve our economic situation; my older sis- ters, who supported me like my second parents. This became the driving force for me to study in order to secure a bright future. Countless times my parents would say study diligently so I don’t have to worry about anything like they did, as they didn’t know English and faced many barriers. As time passed, we settled down living comfortably after years of hurdles. The begin- ning years of my life in America were filled with hardships and endur- ance that accentuated my diligence for success and maturity of being thankful. Even though we were struggling, my family was always sup- portive and encouraged me to do what I wanted, not harshly pressuring academics. My family is my inspiration to accom- plish my goals. I want them to be proud of who I am and my success. KACI BRIDWELL Friendswood High School Valedictorian Hi, I’m Kacie Bridwell! I am the 2021 Valedic- torian at Friendswood High School, and I will be attending the University of Virginia, studying business at the McIntire School of Business. At Friendswood High School, I am very involved in choir as a section leader in our top ensemble and as the president. Addi- tionally, I am a four- year member of the FHS Musical and am an active member of National Honor Society and National English Honor Society. At the University of Virginia, I hope to become an active student on campus, participating in clubs and groups such as an a cappella group or business/medicine related group. I am also excited to explore the mountains of Virginia and finally experience four seasons. My current plan is to pursue medical school, having earned my business degree at the University of Virginia. Ultimately, I hope to become a dermatol- ogist, but I am open to exploring other specialties. I would like to thank my incredibly supportive teachers and advisors at Friend- swood High School as well as my parents for aiding me in earning the title of valedictori- an and helping get to where I am today. 6 | Education Celebration | 20212021 | Education Celebration | 7 LINDSAY MIRACLE High Island High School Valedictorian My name is Lindsay Miracle, and I have earned the presti- gious honor of being named High Island High School’s Class of 2021 Valedictorian. This title is not taken lightly, and I look forward to using it as a platform to reach others in sharing the foundation of my educa- tional journey, with the hope to be an inspira- tion. In the fall of 2021, I will begin my college journey at Tarleton State University in Stephen- ville, Texas. There, I plan to achieve a bachelor’s degree in education. I would consider myself to be someone who is always willing to lend a hand. With teaching, not only would I be pursu- ing my dream, but also, I would be benefiting children who need guid- ance and understanding. I wholeheartedly believe that education is my path, and I am grateful to have had the oppor- tunity to watch my own parents educate and instruct others so beau- tifully. Once I have obtained my bachelor’s degree in education, I hope to obtain my master’s degree next. As soon as I stepped on the Tarleton campus, I knew I was meant to be a Texan. I cannot wait to begin my college journey and to share that with my com- munity. As of May 14, I am an alumna of Lamar Institute of Technology in Beaumont, Texas. I earned my associate’s degree and was one of two students from High Island with this accom- plishment, making histo- ry here in High Island. I look forward to instill- ing the love of learning and acquiring knowl- edge, not only inside the walls of my future classroom, but also the community in which I reside. I believe that the richness of a community is the glue that holds its members together. There have been many exemplary role models that have paved the way to where I am today. I look forward to becom- ing one of the many examples for future scholars. COURTNEY LYN HUNTER Hitchcock High School Valedictorian Courtney Lyn Hunter is the 2021 Valedicto- rian of Hitchcock High School. She grew up playing softball, soccer and has always had a passion for animals. Her passion for animals is the reason she is going to college for Wildlife Biology and pursuing a career as a Wildlife Veterinarian. Courtney has been accepted and will be leaving in August to attend Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. She is a very outgoing person and has a bubbly per- sonality and expressed it as the school’s mascot for the past five years. This year she became a varsity cheerleader and captain of the team. She has earned the title of two time NCA All-American Mascot and NCA All Ameri- can Cheerleader. She stands as a leader in her community as she is the president of the Nation- al Honor Society and enjoys helping others. She values family and enjoys spending time with them, especially her twin sister Katelyn who always keeps her laughing and enter- tained. Courtney loves outdoor activities such as water sports, fishing, jet skiing, and tubing. She understands the values of hard work which she demonstrates by having two part time jobs while volunteering in her community and taking college cours- es at College of the Mainland. She works at Moody Gardens as a photographer and enjoys it very much as she has always had a passion for photog- raphy. Courtney also works at Santa Fe Sports as a gymnastics instruc- tor and enjoys teach- ing children. She has worked extremely hard to get to where she is and Courtney would like to thank all of her friends and family for making this possible. RYLIE MCCARTY La Marque High School Valedictorian This may sound mor- bid, but I never expected to live long enough to graduate high school. I didn’t grow up in a very nurturing house- hold, to say the least. I always have struggled with mental health and expected to stop exist- ing before 18, one way or another. Growing up seemed impossible, like something that I just was not meant to achieve. Like I was just supposed to fade into the back- ground of a painting. But I did not. I entered high school, I turned 16, then 17, then 18. I went from class to class, school to work to home. And, at some point, I stopped feeling like I was meant to disappear. I realized that I am here, and there is no real disappearing into the background. No matter what happens to me, I existed, and people will remember me. Whether it’s my brothers that I raised, or the girl who sat next to me in English, wondering what hap- pened to the quiet girl with the crimson hair, I found something that I love doing —art — and I found people who care about me and want to see me prosper. I was able to take a deep breath and be- come myself. I learned about who I am, what I enjoy and who I want to surround myself with. This is not to say that I do not still struggle, but at least I can talk to the people who I know care about me, where I can feel safe. I did not have to fade into the back anymore. I could enjoy things without feeling like I needed to give up as soon as I messed up. I could rise to the top of my class. I deserve to be happy. I deserve to exist. NICHOLAS CORTINAS O’Connell College Preparatory School Valedictorian My name is Nicho- las Cortinas, and I am proud to be the vale- dictorian of O’Connell College Preparatory School’s Class of 2021. Next fall, I will be attending Texas A&M University where I plan to major in finance. I currently live in Dickinson, but I grew up in Santa Fe, where I was able to raise all kinds of animals — my favorite being chickens! Since a young age, I have always been interested in cooking. In fact, up until this year, since I’ve been so busy, I usually cooked dinner for my family on most week- nights. The remainder of my free time is usu- ally spent relaxing and watching Netflix. During my time at O’Connell, I have been involved in many extracurricular activi- ties, including National Honor Society, where I served as President, and Student Council, where I have been Student Body Secretary and Class Treasurer. I have also been a part of the tennis team and have (miraculously!) advanced to the state tournament twice. Addi- tionally, I have complet- ed 63 dual-credit hours through Galveston College over the past two years. I would like to thank all of the teachers and staff that I have en- countered not only at O’Connell, but also at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Hitchcock and True Cross Catholic School in Dickinson. My teachers all have positively im- pacted me and helped me to get to where I am today. Words cannot express how grateful I am to have been able to attend these three incredible institutions, where I have made so many great friends and memories along the way. Finally, I would like to thank my parents for always encouraging me to do my best. To all of my family, who I can al- ways count on for their unwavering support, I am incredibly lucky to have you all. 8 | Education Celebration | 20212021 | Education Celebration | 9 JACE GIDLEY Odyssey Academy Valedictorian I’m Jace Gidley. I grad- uated from College of the Mainland’s collegiate high school program and Odyssey Academy Galveston. I earned my high school diploma and associate’s degree in general studies at the same time. While at COM, I was a part of var- ious academic clubs like Phi Theta Kappa and Nu Psi. I was on the dean’s list for the majority of my time there. I did quite a bit of volunteer work, including children’s charities and rebuilding after Hurricane Harvey. I currently hold a part- time job. My hobbies include playing guitar and studying philosophy. In the fall, I will be at- tending Stephen F. Aus- tin University, where I will be getting my bachelor’s degree in professional chemistry. I then plan on going to graduate school and getting my doctorate in the same field. I currently have an academic scholarship from Stephen F. Austin as well as my valedicto- rian scholarship, which will greatly help me in achieving that goal. I look forward to my fu- ture academic journey. JOSHUA IVY Texas City High School Valedictorian Joshua Ivy has earned the prestigious honor of being named the Valedictorian of Texas City High School. Josh- ua has worked hard to earn his exemplary achievements both in the classroom and within his extracurricular activities. For example, he spends numerous hours working with the school’s yearbook staff as the Co-Editor of the yearbook. He currently is the Co-President of the Interact Club, which is a service organization sponsored by the Rota- ry Club. With that said, Joshua has managed his time and efforts outside of his leadership responsi- bilities to not only focus on, but also to succeed in his arduous course load. Some of his cur- rent classes include AP Biology, AP English, AP Calculus, AP Economics and Independent Stud- ies in Yearbook as one of the editors. He has managed to maintain an A+ average, which has allowed him the opportunity to continue his academic efforts at the University of Texas in Austin in the fall. On top of all his school commitments, Joshua manages to work almost 30 hours a week at Panera Bread. He works hard to man- age his time with his job and his school commit- ments while maintain- ing the highest levels of success. Joshua chooses to spend some of his free time working because he wants to make the most of his time in the city of Austin and help contribute to his own education. While he spends a majority of his time paving his personal path to success, his priority is always to be kind and encouraging to others. He enjoys spending time studying and socializing with his friends, as well as thrifting or going to the park. Joshua credits a lot of his success to the support his friends have given him to truly thrive in his academic efforts. Next >