19 May 2003
Graduates Share Zest for Success
DALLAS—On May 21, the first of 24 district graduation ceremonies in the Dallas Independent School District will take place closing a chapter in many students' lives, but behind the pomp and circumstance of the celebration there are stories about students that make these event even more memorable.
• Highly studious and diligent Tiesha Henderson will bring further honor to her family when she graduates valedictorian in her class at A. Maceo Smith High School with a 3.9 grade point average. Henderson lost her mother at the age of two and was raised in a single parent home by her dad. Her list of accomplishments is extensive, including coming within 10 points of a perfect score on the SAT verbal section. Henderson has been offered more than $255,000 in scholarships from various institutions of higher learning including Hampton University, where she plans to attend school in the fall, Southern Methodist University, University of Texas at Austin, Texas A& M-College Station, Dillard University, University of Houston, and University of Dallas. She has received several scholarships including the DISD Superintendent Scholarship and the Black State Employee Association Scholarship. Graduation ceremonies will be held at 7 p.m. May 27 at the Dallas Convention Center Arena.• Throughout his high school years, Brent O'glesby has been involved in various activities including Advanced Placement courses, sports, the stage and band, but it's his selection as recipient of the Davey O'Brien Scholarship, and admission to the U. S. Naval Academy that has caused the most commotion at Woodrow Wilson High School. His combined scholarship offers amount to $270,000. O'glesby's grades have added one more honor to a long list of commendations—class salutatorian. Graduation ceremonies are at 1 p.m. May 24 at Reunion Arena.
Yonic Medina, a senior at Skyline High School, received a four-year Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Marine Option scholarship worth $127,000. Other offers of admission included Texas A & M, University of Texas at Dallas and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Graduation ceremonies are May 23 at 7 p.m. at Reunion Arena.
• The list of first generation high school graduates is pretty extensive. Among this graduating class is Ana Lucero, the first of 11 children in her family to attend college. Sunset High School class salutatorian, Lucero will enroll at Brigham Young University in the fall and plans to major in clinical laboratory sciences. The school's valedictorian is Christina Puga, who has earned a full scholarship to Harvard University. Graduation ceremonies are at 6 p.m. May 24 at Reunion Arena.
• Sabrina Celebic, a graduating senior at North Dallas High School, holds a 3.6 grade average and has been accepted to Southern Methodist University on a full scholarship. In spite of this great honor Celebic says her highest accomplishment is to be fluent in Spanish, English and Bosnian. She learned Spanish by watching Spanish television. Celebic plans to major in Bilingual Education. Graduation ceremonies are at 7 p.m. May 21 at Moody Coliseum.
• Parenting has not deterred students from continuing their education and working hard to reach academic goals. James Madison High School student Shaquela Stanley recently had a baby, but the class valedictorian didn't get sidetracked from her studies. She is the recipient of several scholarships that total more $100,000 and hopes to attend Texas Woman's University in the fall. Graduation ceremonies are 7 p.m. June 2 at the Majestic Theatre.