The school celebrated the academic achievements of its students at an awards ceremony on April 17, recognizing their dedication and hard work throughout the school year.
“It was a great turnout for both ceremonies,” Principal Burt Clark said. While many students attended, some could not attend due to conflicts with girls flag football and track meets.
“Some of our students couldn’t attend, which is always a little sad, but I was floored with the turnout from parents and students,” Clark said. “The joy on students’ faces as they celebrated each other’s hard work and accomplishments was my favorite part.”
Junior Caelen Garcia, who opened the ceremony as the Student Government Association communications officer, said he enjoyed amplifying the crowd’s enthusiasm.
“My favorite part was asking the crowd to applaud for all award recipients,” Garcia said. “I wasn’t expecting everyone to clap for so long, but it demonstrates how excited everyone was that night to support the students.”
McMullin, who earned first place in every category for the Daughters of the American Revolution poster contest, said she was surprised by her results. The national contest was open to students and included several judging criteria.
“It felt nice because it feels nice to be recognized when I put a lot of work and a lot of time into something,” McMullin said.
According to McMullin, some students would feel unrecognized and less encouraged without the award ceremonies.
“Even if you didn’t do great in middle school, and you start putting in more effort in high school—if that doesn’t get recognized, you can burn out super quickly,” McMullin said.
Similarly, junior Aryan Ashta said celebrating others at the ceremony helps students stay motivated.
“It can increase the motivation of students at the school,” Ashta said. “They see their peers winning awards and think, ‘I can get an award next year.’”
Garcia said that having parents and family members attend the ceremony also motivates students.
“I believe that the majority of us who received an award would not be where we are if not for the people who supported and continue to support us,” Garcia said.
Looking ahead, Garcia said he would like to see changes in how the ceremony is conducted.
“More transparency on how course awards are selected—whether it’s through class participation, raw scores or other factors—would help,” Garcia said. “Celebrating improvement is even more important than celebrating high achievers,” he said. “I hope in the future we recognize growth, not just GPA.”
Clark said he also believed in honoring improvement.
“Recognizing improvement is probably even more important than celebrating high achievers,” Clark said.
Sophomore Ivy McMullin said she appreciated the community atmosphere of the ceremony. She attended the event with other students and was recognized for her academic performance.
“It was great to be with my peers at a ceremony that recognized our hard work throughout the year,” McMullin said.
By Jenna Naters
