(Eureka)—23 high school seniors, representing 13 schools were honored as the Humboldt County Achievement Team in an online ceremony, Wednesday, March 9th. The Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) scheduled the online ceremony for the third year, due to the pandemic.
“The Academic Achievement process of selecting Humboldt County’s Stellar Students gives me hope because it showcases how talented these young, motivated people are. To learn their life stories and accomplishments, while also knowing how bright their futures will be is a testament of support and encouragement they receive from their schools,” according to Karen Brooks, HCOE Academic Achievement program coordinator. “Two years of a pandemic deprived all students of important opportunities. These achievers are prime examples of grounding, resiliency and determination.”
Members of the Team were selected based upon their exemplary academic performance, significant involvement in extra-curricular activities, proven leadership abilities, excellent communication skills and a commitment to their community.
The event culminated with the naming of two Stellar Students for 2022. Meadow Jennings and Jude Ortega of Arcata High School were recognized as the top students for Humboldt County. After review of their applications, transcripts and essays, the judges interviewed the top candidates for this award. At the process’ conclusion, the judges selected Jude and Meadow for their exceptional accomplishments in academics, leadership and community engagement, as well as their capacity to make significant impacts to their future.
Two academic achievers received acknowledgement with an Inpiration Award. The award is reserved for students who overcome inequities and setbacks to become top academic performers while inspiring others. Kaitlyn Guynn with Alder Grove Charter School and Natasha Glass with McKinleyville High School were honored with the Inspiration Award.
“The students selected for these awards deserve both our congratulations and appreciation for the incredible work they demonstrate each day both within and outside the classroom,” said Michael Davies-Hughes, Humboldt County Superintendent of Schools. “Recognition as a top academic performer is the result of a tremendous amount of multi-year planning, a commitment to rigorous coursework and a purposeful effort to positively impact our community beyond the classroom.”
The Humboldt County Office of Education’s Student Events program distributed scholarships totaling $7,500 to the Academic Achievement Team. All nominees receive a $300 scholarship, with the Stellar Students and Inspirational Students receiving an additional $200 and $100 respectively.
The 2022 Academic Achievement Team:
- Arcata High School – Meadow Jennings, Jude Ortega, Ireland Sommer, Lila Rose Cohen
- Eureka High School – Ty Bauer, Ke’Arra Cosey, Lily Korenstein, Tyler Petrusha, Samantha Stewart
- Ferndale High School – Ledger Dare
- Fortuna High School – Breck Bishop, Dominick “Angel” Diaz, Katherine Gearhart
- Hoopa Valley High School – Taylor Cole
- McKinleyville High School – Natasha Glass, Kathryn Tinney
- Northern Union Humboldt Charter School – Iris VanBeebe-Wiest
- Bernard’s Academy – Emma Wilson
- Academy of the Redwoods – Sarah Privat
- Alder Grove Charter School – Kaitlyn Guynn
- Six Rivers Charter High School – Kaley Johnson
- Northcoast Preparatory Academy – Jaxon Peaker
- South Fork High School – Malcomb Marshall
The awards ceremony may be viewed in its entirety online. Please visit https://hcoe.org/aa-team/ to watch. To discover more about HCOE’s Academic Achievement, contact Karen Brooks at (707) 445-7563.