Ash High School students celebrated at Awards Banquet
“We are as proud as a peacock of all our students,” Ash High School principal Rodney Wallace said, explaining the peacock theme of the campus’s annual awards banquet held on Thursday evening, May 3, in the school cafeteria.
The program, led by the campus student council, gave evidence of the accomplishments of students attending the alternative high school this year and highlighted the many reasons staff and parents had to be proud of the students celebrated.
Marivel Melendez, student council secretary/treasurer, gave the welcome address.
Student council member Madison Newberry led the pledges and read the school’s mission statement and guidelines to success.
Student speakers Marc Arnold, Jazmin Borrego, and Ricardo Sepulveda shared personal stories of why they had elected to attend Ash, how the school had made it possible to complete their degree, and their post-graduation plans to continue their education.
Senior Ashley Gonzalez introduced the Ash High School teaching staff. The staff presented academic awards in their field to the following students:
- English II - Amber Ramirez
- English III - Jasmine Schmidt
- English IV - Benita Lopez
- Business English - Courtney Fisher
- Business Information Management I - Jasmine Schmidt
- Business Information Management II – Jasmin Borrego
- Digital Information & Media - Emanuel Ramirez-Rodriquez
- Principles of Business, Marketing and Finance - Danielle Herrera
- Money Matters – Ashley Gonzalez
- Algebra I - Skyler Ramos
- Algebra II - Ashley Gonzalez
- Geometry - Carissa Gonzalez
- Math Models - Courtney Fisher
- Advanced Quantitative Reasoning – Dominique Benavidis
- Chemistry – Naomi Garza and Ashley Gonzalez
- Physics - Madison Newberry
- Environmental Systems - Marivel Melendez and Marc Arnold
- Economics – Danielle Herrera
- US History – Ashley Gonzalez
- Government – Ashley Gonzalez
- World History - Madison Newberry
- Spanish I – Mariah McQueen
- Spanish II - Bertha Chavez
- Art - Jasmine Schmidt
- Health – Sanissa Ramirez
- Personal Fitness – Ricardo Sepulveda
- APEX Credit Recovery – Chris Teixeira
Maranda Chavez was recognized as the recipient of the Plainview Herald and Covenant Tomorrow’s Leader award.
School counselor Jay Jay Wiseman, with the assistance of principal Wallace, presented the top three student awards. Students receiving these awards will have their names engraved on permanent plaques hanging at the school. Recipients of those awards are:
- Marivel Melendez - Female Student of the Year
- Chris Teixeira - Male Student of the Year
- Benita Lopez - Phoenix Award (indicating greatest growth)
A total of more than $5000 in scholarships were presented to the following students:
- Marivel Melendez - Leah Dayton Educator’s Spirit Memorial Scholarship
- Lonnie Uvalli - Judy Buchanan Honorary Scholarship for Academic Excellence
- Maranda Chavez - Miller, Chatham, Brown Scholarship for Leadership
- Ricardo Sepulveda - Wes Delz Memorial Scholarship
- Marivel Melendez - Ash High School Student Council Scholarship
- Jose Medina - Ash High School General Scholarship
- Damien Reyna - Ash High School General Scholarship
- Lonnie Uvalli - South Plains College Scholarship
- Maranda Chavez – South Plains College Scholarship
Scholarship Donors were Mendoza Construction, High Plains Concrete, Covenant Hospital, Hale County Literacy Council, and Centennial Bank. South Plains College donated two $1000 scholarships. Individuals donating scholarships were Nancy and Phil Cox and George and Antonette Cleveland.
Special guests for the banquet were parents, district administrators, and scholarship donors.
The event was catered by Weekends BBQ.
