Texas High holds academic awards

Students recognized for outstanding work

Junior+Jessie+Garren+accepts+award+from+principal+Patti+OBannon.+Two-hundred-seventy-four+students+received+awards.

Truth Dukes

Junior Jessie Garren accepts award from principal Patti O’Bannon. Two-hundred-seventy-four students received awards.

Story by Sophie Keller, Webmaster

Texas High held the 2022-2023 Academic Awards on May 12 in the Sullivan Performing Arts Center. This is the first time the awards have been in person since before COVID. Over 274 awards were given out.

“Every campus in the district has one of these,” IT specialist Ashley Washington said. “I felt like we’re the only school that kind of put it on hold last year.”

Awards were given based on either top grade in a course or most improved. Teachers choose the Heart of a Tiger award. 

“[Heart of a Tiger] can be given to a student that [teachers] recognize that has good attendance, no discipline issues, strong work ethic in the class and they have shown progress throughout the year,” Washington said. “It’s kind of a way to show their diligence in the course.”

Each award is only given to one person; however, there were many students who were skilled enough to win multiple awards.

“I’m really grateful and appreciative of them,” senior Natalie Davis said. “I think I put a lot of work into school and so I think it’s good that the awards kind of reflect all the work I put into it.”

Awards were given for every class, whether that be STEM, CTE or the arts. Every student has the potential to win an award. They don’t need to have the highest grade or take the hardest classes, as long as they put effort into the classes they take.

“We feel like seniors have a ton of assemblies and awards this may,” Washington said. “And so we just didn’t want to discount all the work of our ninth through 11th graders who are working hard in the classroom too and don’t have those same awards assemblies. We just really wanted to try to highlight everyone’s achievements.”