11 Jun 2002
29 High School Valedictorians, Salutatorians Are Among District's 6,181 Graduates DALLAS–The valedictorians and salutatorians of the Dallas Independent School District were among the 6,181 seniors who shared in $48 million in scholarships. Selected based on academic achievement, the top 58 graduates were honored at high school graduation ceremonies that were held throughout the city in May. The district's valedictorians and salutatorians have mostly chosen to attend Texas institutions of higher learning with The University of Texas and its branches among the top choices. Some of the out-of-state universities selected by the graduates were the University of California in Los Angeles, Stanford University, Duke University and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Preliminary figures indicate top graduates from the district's 29 high schools, along with members of their graduating class, will be attending college with the help of almost $48.3 million in scholarship awards. With a graduating class of 52 seniors, the School for the Talented and Gifted at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center received the highest monetary scholarship award, totaling about $15.3 million. The senior class at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School received the second highest monetary award where 136 graduates garnered almost $4.1 million in scholarships. DISD had 11 other schools where students were offered scholarships in excess of a million dollars. Attached is a list of district schools and information about their Class of 2002, including valedictorian, salutatorian and scholarship amount received. For news and information about the Dallas Independent School District, visit www.dallasisd.org. All valedictorians and salutatorians are residents of Dallas with the following exceptions: Bryan Adams' valedictorian; Carter's valedictorian; and Seagoville's valedictorian and salutatorian. The hometowns of these students are indicated next to their names. Bryan Adams High School W. H. Adamson High School David W. Carter High School School of Business and Management at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center School of Education and Social Services at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center School of Health Professions at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center Magnet Center for Public Services: Government, Law and Law Enforcement at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center School of Science and Engineering at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center School for Talented and Gifted at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center Hillcrest High School Thomas Jefferson High School Justin F. Kimball High School Lincoln Humanities/Communications Magnet School James Madison High School Middle College High School Moisés Molina High School North Dallas High School L.G. Pinkston High School Franklin D. Roosevelt High School W.W. Samuell High School Seagoville High School Skyline High School A. Maceo Smith High School South Oak Cliff High School H. Grady Spruce High School Sunset High School Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts W.T. White High School
Total of Graduating Seniors: 395
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $1,246,813
Valedictorian: Nkemdilim G. Okafor, Age 18
(Hometown: Sunnyvale, Texas)
College/University: University of North Carolina(Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Major: Undecided
Salutatorian: David Banh, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas at Dallas (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Undecided
Total of Graduating Seniors: 173
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $60,000
Valedictorian: Lori Nunn, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, Texas)
Major: Nursing
Salutatorian: Yolanda Escalante, Age 18
College/University: Texas Woman's University (Denton, Texas)
Major: Medicine
Total of Graduating Seniors: 368
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $734,334
Valedictorian: Chameka Lusk, Age 17 (Hometown: Hutchins, Texas)
College/University: University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Major: Pre-Dentistry
Salutatorian: Bular McHaney, Age 17
College/University: Texas Southern University (Houston, Texas)
Major: Mathematics
Total of Graduating Seniors: 108
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $2,203,138
Valedictorian: Jamie McNeir, Age 17
College/University: University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Major: Chemical Engineering
Salutatorian: Teleisha Williams, Age 17
College/University: University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Major: Accounting
Total of Graduating Seniors: 46
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $111,568
Valedictorian: Samout Kettavong, Age 17
College/University: Texas Woman's University (Denton, Texas)
Major: Nursing
Salutatorian: LaTisha Archie, Age 18
College/University: Texas Woman's University (Denton, Texas)
Major: Social Work
Total of Graduating Seniors: 109
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $674,908
Valedictorian: Adriana Hernandez, Age 17
College/University: Southwestern University
Major: Biology
Salutatorian: Monica Ramirez, Age 18
College/University: Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Chemistry
Total of Graduating Seniors: 97
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $600,000
Valedictorian: Ashleigh Thames, Age 18
College/University: Duke University (Durham, North Carolina)
Major: Civil Engineering
Salutatorian: Tiffany Pratt, Age 18
College/University: Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Political Science
Total of Graduating Seniors: 86
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $1,399,714
Valedictorian: Daniel Wu, Age 18
College/University: Rice University (Houston, Texas)
Major: Computer Engineering/Electrical Engineering
Salutatorian: Joshua Newton, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Major: Mathematics
Total of Graduating Seniors: 52
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $15,388,116
Valedictorian: Ross Losher, Age 18
College/University: California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California)
Major: Undecided
Salutatorian: Roy Maute, Age 17
College/University: University of California (Berkeley, California)
Major: Undecided
Total of Graduating Seniors: 213
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $701,538
Valedictorian: Kelly Kennon, Age 18
College/University: University of California (Los Angeles, California)
Major: Business
Salutatorian: Jessica Like, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Major: Undecided
Total of Graduating Seniors: 242
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $441,644
Valedictorian: Sofia Bitela, Age 18
College/University: Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Undecided
Salutatorian: Anie Thomas, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas at Dallas (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Undecided
Total of Graduating Seniors: 250
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $847,860
Valedictorian: Adreana Andrus, Age 17
College/University: Texas Christian University (Fort Worth, Texas)
Major: Math/Education
Salutatorian: Kevin Williams, Age 17
College/University: Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas)
Major: Engineering
Total of Graduating Seniors: 216
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $3,438,612
Valedictorian: Leia Wilson, Age 18
College/University: Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Salutatorian: Porsche McClinton, Age 17
College/University: Clark University (Atlanta, Georgia)
Major: Computer Engineering
Total of Graduating Seniors: 100
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $895,025
Valedictorian: Micheal Bagley, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Major: Engineering
Salutatorian: Bridget Davis, Age 18
College/University: United States Army/University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Major: Physical Therapy
Total of Graduating Seniors: 25
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $15,500
Valedictorian: Mayra Ovalle, Age 18
College/University: Mountain View College (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Undecided
Salutatorian: Oscar Perez, Age 18
College/University: El Centro College (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Undecided
Total of Graduating Seniors: 362
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $278,500
Valedictorian: Tony Aaron Martinez, Age 17
College/University: Kilgore Junior College (Kilgore, Texas)
Major: Business
Salutatorian: Cynthia Benevides, Age 17
College/University: University of Texas at Dallas (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Business
Total of Graduating Seniors: 291
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $2,287,000
Valedictorian: Vu Hoang Nguyen, Age 19
College/University: Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Computer Engineering
Salutatorian: Bach Van Pham, Age 18
College/University: Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Computer Engineering
Total of Graduating Seniors: 101
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $562,794
College/University: University of Texas at Dallas (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Business
Salutatorian: Lessia J. Runnels, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas at Dallas (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Medical Technology
Total of Graduating Seniors: 136
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $4,092,254
Valedictorian: Ashley Jenise Gaines, Age 18
College/University: Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas)
Major: Computer Engineering
Salutatorian: Pernilla Alicia Higgins, Age 18
College/University: Texas Woman's University (Denton, Texas)
Major: Business Administration
Total of Graduating Seniors: 246
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $385,630
Valedictorian: Maria F. Chavez, Age 19
College/University: Unversity of Texas at Dallas (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Spanish/Nursing
Salutatorian: Marisela Escamilla, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas at Dallas (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Engineering
Total of Graduating Seniors: 195
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $1,017,150
Valedictorian: Jennifer Nicol White, Age 18
(Hometown: Seagoville, Texas)
College/University: University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Major: Business
Salutatorian: Lacey Lynn Drummond, Age 18
(Hometown: Seagoville, Texas)
College/University: Northwood University (Cedar Hill, Texas)
Major: Court Reporting
Total of Graduating Seniors: 769
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $1,241,512
Valedictorian: Justin David Lowrey, Age 18
College/University: Unversity of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Major: Physics/Astronomy
Salutatorian: Lap Duc Pham, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Major: Physics
Total of Graduating Seniors: 128
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $1,146,000
Valedictorian: Shanetrice Allen, Age 18
College/University: Dillard University (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Major: Medicine
Salutatorian: Karecia Burkley, Age 17
College/University: Grambling State University (Grambling, Louisiana)
Major: Education
Total of Graduating Seniors: 226
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $1,200,000
Valedictorian: Rodrigo Badillo, Age 17
College/University: Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas)
Major: Business
Salutatorian: Sha'Ronda Robertson, Age 17
College/University: Bethune-Cookman College (Daytona Beach, Florida)
Major: Computer Information Systems
Total of Graduating Seniors: 247
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $310,000
Valedictorian: Sarah Elia Martinez, Age 18
College/University: Southwest Texas State
University (Marshall, Minnesota)
Major: Business/Marketing
Salutatorian: Te'lra Denise Dorsey, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas (Austin, Texas)
Major: Engineering
Total of Graduating Seniors: 256
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $326,750
Valedictorian: Maria T. Rodriguez, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, Texas)
Major: Medicine
Salutatorian: Tabitha Gutierrez, Age 18
College/University: Austin College (Sherman, Texas)
Major: Business
Total of Graduating Seniors: 146
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $3,807,942
Valedictorian: Albert James Todd, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, Texas)
Major: Math/Science
Salutatorian: Rebecca Embler, Age 18
College/University: Reed College (Portland, Oregon)
Major: Fine Arts
Total of Graduating Seniors: 336
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $1,750,000
Valedictorian: Norene Napper, Age 18
College/University: University of Texas at Dallas (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Art/Performance
Salutatorian: Ashley Shafer, Age 18
College/University: Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas)
Major: Engineering
Total of Graduating Seniors: 262
Amount of Scholarships Awarded: $1,135,495
Valedictorian: Andrew Rogers, Age 18
College/University: Stanford University (Stanford, California)
Major: Law
Salutatorian: Dayana Medina, Age 18
College/University: University of Dallas (Dallas, Texas)
Major: Undecided