Elementary Schools Hold Senior Clap Out

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On April 26, Mansfield ISD held their annual Senior Clap Out for high school seniors all over the district to return to their elementary schools. The senior clap out allows high school seniors to walk through the halls of their former elementary school while the students and staff give them high fives and clap for them.

“It’s really nostalgic being able to come back to Annette Perry and see all my old teachers,” said Audra Slater, a Lake Ridge High School senior. “It’s so crazy just seeing all these kids supporting you not even knowing who you are but they still look up to you as if you’re their big sister or big brother.”

The teachers enjoy seeing their old students just as much as the graduates.

“There’s a couple emotions that you get,” said Kevin Dodge, a fourth grade teacher at D.P. Morris. “First you’re really jarred by how old they are which in turn makes you feel really old and you start contemplating how much longer you have left on this Earth. Then you think, but that’s okay because I was able to make an impact.”

When the students meet with their former teachers they often reminisce on memories from their time in elementary school.

“You get all these great memories back from when you were young,” said Lake Ridge High School senior, Omar Quinones. “Walking through the hallways, the school is so much smaller than it usually was because when you were a little kid you thought the school was humongous.”

The seniors also share what their plans for the future are.

“My heart fills just with pride to hear what their choices are and the decisions they’re making,” said Sondra Thomas, the principal of Annette Perry from 2009-2014. “I can’t wait to hear in five years what they’ve accomplished.”

The seniors wear their cap and gowns to show the current elementary students that they, too, will graduate one day.

“One day when I grow up I want to be just like one of those high schoolers,” said D.P. Morris fourth grader, Liliana Garcia.

MISD Seniors Prove Hard Work Literally Pays Off

L-R: Grant Wilkie, Kendall Curtis, and Ifeoluwa Obayan

For three Mansfield ISD seniors, hard work in their junior year paid off—literally.

Grant Wilkie from Summit High School, Kendall Curtis from Mansfield High School, and Ifeoluwa Obayan from Timberview High School all received very prestigious scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

Wilkie and Curtis received the National Merit Scholarship. Obayan was awarded the National Achievement Scholarship, which is given to high-achieving African-American students. Both of the scholarships are awarded based on a student’s high Preliminary SAT (PSAT) scores.

The winners of the scholarships receive $2,500, and universities often discount their tuition to finalists. For Wilkie, the news couldn’t have come at a better time.

“This is definitely the most important thing that’s happened to me in my life,” said Wilkie, who will be headed to Baylor University in the fall with his tuition fully paid. “I’m finally able to give back to my parents by saving them money. It’s a huge blessing.”

Out of 1.5 million National Merit entrants nationwide, only 7,600 are named as scholarship winners. Curtis, also headed to Baylor, explains what she did to help her odds.

“AP classes helped,” said the future law student. “I would suggest reading a lot of high-level literature and taking the harder math classes.”

Obayan can boast that she’s one of 800 winners out of 160,000 total applicants to receive the National Achievement Scholarship. She said looking back, she’s glad she put in the countless hours to review for the PSAT.

“I really worked hard,” said Obayan. “The District offered a PSAT prep program in the summer in my junior year, and I remember spending every Monday in that class for two to three hours. It really paid off.”

Obayan, valedictorian of her class, will be going to Harvard University to major in biomedical engineering.

For more information about the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and their awards, visit the NMSC website.

MISD Seniors Graduating with Diploma and College Degree

Jaeidah Reed (left) and Yesenia Day (right) looking forward
to graduation day.

As two Frontier High School seniors walk across the stage on graduation day, they’ll go back to their seats knowing they only have two more years to go until they earn their bachelor’s degree.

That’s because Yesenia Day and Jaeidah Reed have earned enough credits to obtain a diploma and an associate degree in June.

The 17-year-olds are part of Frontier High School’s TCC Trinity River East Campus (TREC) Program, which allows juniors and seniors to take college courses and earn certifications in the health profession.

Day and Reed will readily admit the journey was hectic and difficult at times.

“It’s not a hand out, and you have to really plan it out to make it happen,” said Day, who is also valedictorian of her Frontier High class. “You just need to be committed.”

“You have to be able to handle leaving your tradition school setting. There are no bands, no sports, and not a lot of extracurricular activities,” said Reed.

But for them, the hard work was well worth it.

Day will test to get certified as a pharmacy, electrocardiogram (EKG), and medical billing/coding technician. Reed is studying for her pharmacy technician, EKG, and emergency medical technician (EMT) certifications.

The two friends both plan to go into the medical field—Day as an orthopedic surgeon and Reed as a trauma surgeon.

“There’s a lot of school ahead for us, so getting our associate degree and hopefully our certifications will cut down some of that time and money,” said Reed.

Reed plans to take a semester at sea through the University of Virginia before she enrolls at Southern Methodist University. Day will be heading out to Santa Clara University in the fall on a full scholarship.

“Everyone has the opportunity to do what we did,” said Day. “You just have to be proactive.”