Northside students achieve national recognition

Students earn national recognition

Northside ISD students continue to excel and receive numerous honors and awards. Below are students who have been named National Merit Semifinalists, Commended Scholars, and scholar finalists in the National Hispanic Recognition Program.

National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Scholars

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). 

About 90 percent of the semifinalists will attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.

National Merit Semifinalist

  • Brandeis HS: Ramya Kappaganthula, Jacky Lin, Venkata Pullabhotla, and Ray Zhang.
  • Marshall HS: Marcel Medellin 
  • O’Connor HS: Jayvin Pena

National Merit Commended

  • Brandeis HS: Eliza Abdul, Salma Akhrass,Seo Yun Kim, Garrett Kimball,  Sashricaa Manoj Kumar, Kyla Moberly, Maura Montoya, Scott Rushforth, Alan Shaji,  Nicholas Taylor, Caden Walters, and Grace Xu
  • Clark HS: Madeleine Dreher, Troy Friesenhahn, Aidan Isaacs, Elias Nunneley, Ayomipo Odumosu, Daniel Oranday, Melissa Philipp, Gianfranco Randazzo Patino, Maryn Roundy, Natalie Tan, and Pranav Tejomurtula.
  • Communications Arts HS: Karlee English
  • Construction Careers Academy: Kate Lambert, 
  • Health Careers HS: Eric Oh and Layasri Thumatichandrasekaran
  • NSITE: Redic Cravens and Martin Lopez 
  • O’Connor HS: Finley Allen, Emma Glenn

 

National Hispanic or Latinx Recognition Program: 

The National Hispanic Recognition Program is a College Board program that provides national recognition of the exceptional academic achievements of Hispanic high school seniors and identifies academically well-prepared Hispanic high school seniors for postsecondary institutions.

  • Brandeis HS: Sophia Alcantara, Wiliam Catron, Catherine Elizalde, Alyssa Garabedian, Gavin Garcia, Samuel Garcia, Mikaela Garza, Jacob Gonzaba, Olivia Guarjardo, Aden Juarez, Analee Lozano, Jason Manzo, Stephen Moreno, Joshua Nelms, Ana Ramirez Meza, Ana Ramos Fraticelli, Cienna Rodriguez, Mireya Ruiz, Brianna Saenz, Andrew Tenorio, and Joaquin Zorrilla.
  • Clark HS: Marcus Adame, Nicole Alba Aguilar, Diego Albino Montoya, Diego Alexander, Iyanna Benavidez, Christian Carmona, Daniel Carroll, Mona Ceguera, Maria Cochran, Oscar De La Cerda, Alyssa Drye, Alexander Fux, Ivan Garcia, Braeden Godkin, Camila Gonzalez, Isabella Gonzalez, Natalie Gout, Ximena Gutierrez Gonzalez, Addison Harney, Jazmin Hernandez, Soncia Hughes, Reese Lacayo, Bella Lo Duca, Karen Machado, Luke Maddry, Katherine Mika, Alyssa, Miller, Sebastian Ramirez, Adriana Rao, Mia Schultz, Desirae Singh, Rayjan Suarez, Carlos Trejo, Carlos Valenciano, Jalen Velasco, Kai, Velasco, and Diego Villarreal.
  • Communications Arts HS: Sophia Boling, Sonny Charles, Sienna Diaz DeLeon, Brynn Dominguez, Kylie Douglas, Joaquin Esparza, Callan Flores, Manuel Flores, Isabella Garza, Irina Hernandez, Mikaela Johnson, Raul Najera, Nyla Pearson, Brandon Rodriguez, Aiden Scarcliff, and Elias Zavala.
  • Construction Careers Academy: Deven Biediger, Isabella Ferrer, Jenna Garcia, and Servando Garza
  • Harlan HS: Gianni Baskin, Joselyn Cantu, Derrick Carrillo, Victoria Castro, Emily Clements, Victoria De Santos, Victoria Espinoza, Emma Flores, Andres Gamboa, Adriana Guzman, David McKay, Xander Murray, Zachary Olivarez, Alan Raymond, and Tristen Taylor.
  • Health Careers HS: Layla Abdulbaki, Noah Adams, Peter Alfaro, Niah Badillo, Kara Bradley, Rolando Briones, Nicole Cintron-Cardona, Camille Diaz, Elise Disrud, Andrea Dominguez, Eric Draeger, Amber Elizalde, Ricardo Espinoza, Karyme Flores, Maleiva Flores Stowe, Maria Franco, Xander Garza, Gisela Guerrero, Nyla Hellebuyck, Carson Lafrenier, Nadia Lopez, Noah Lopez, Noelani Madrigal, Ana Malo, Jeremy Mares, Lilian Martinez, Julia Martins, Joshua Mason, Lindsay McNary, Jacqueline Plata, Clarissa Poy, Christian Ramos, Rachel Reyes, Anahi Reyes Guerrero, Kayton Sanchez, Stacy Saucedo, Emily Segovia, Miranda Soto, Michael Stevens, Natasha Terrones, Meritxel Trevino, Laura Vanegas, Ayumi Vazquez, Leslie Villegas, and Madison Zajchowski.
  • Holmes HS: Susan Alfaro Mendoza, Jesus Gonzalez, Nathan Lopez, Zennah Martinez, Christopher Rodriguez, and Obed Torres Valle.
  • Jay Science & Engineering Academy: Eliza Carreon, Braylon Garcia, Anthony Garcia, Sarah Leal, Logan Lopez, and Gavin Pena.
  • Marshall HS: Guillermo Becerra-Maldonado, Amancio Castilleja, Rachel Laleman, Marcel Medellin, Richard Pena, Zachary Pena, Daniela Pennock, Sara Rosel, Breanna Salas, and Thomas Spencer.
  • Marshall Law & Medical Services: Adelie Delgado, Rubi Mendez, and Christine Olivarez.
  • NSITE: Alexander Balido, Enrique Giron, Dylan Guzman, Almaguer Hector, and Cassaundra Ritch 
  • O’Connor HS: Constanza Bachtold, Nathaniel Castillo, Sara Cerda, Brigido Delgado, John Diaz, Marisol Domanick, Ryder Dorn, Ethan Eckmann, Juliana Elizondo, Lucas Fitzgerald, Hector Frausto, Savaiah Goldsmith, Scarlet Graf, Sierra Gray, Micaela Guajardo, Amy Guerra, Adriano Juarez, Ricardo Lepe, Giancarlo Maldonado, Jeran Manzanares, Joshua Medina, Liam Meister, Robert Pitcox, Diego Resendez, Raul Robledo, Arnold Rojas, Angel Saldana, Cayla Valdez, Madison Vigil, and Branden Werland.
  • Stevens HS: Antonio Bravo, Melissa Brundige, Ismeal Duran, Amme Gomez, Givanni Gutierrez, Samantha Hernandez-Munoz, Emily Juarez, Miranda Luna, Imelda Monreal, Cristian Rivera Sanchez, Kiana Simpson, Nicole Vanegas, and Sofia Vaquera. 
  • Taft HS: Alessandra Agüero, Gaspar Apolinar, Marlene Aviles, Niana Cano, Gabriel Carrasco, Catherine Caselin, Alessandra Cavazos, Bethany Chagoya, Gabriella Eakins, Alexi Fernandez, Diego Garcia, Ivan Garcia, Gabriel Gomez, Samantha Gonzalez, Dylan Hite, Allyson Mendoza, Ismael Pinedo, Jesus Solis, Jan Suarez, and Genesis Torres.
  • Warren HS: Isabella Barahona, Jose Campos, Terrance Clark, Samantha De La Rosa, Kaelyn Duckfield, Olivia Elam, Steven Escamilla, Emily Esquivel, Julissa Franco, Marissa Guessford, Madeline Kryszewski, Anthony Morales, David Muniz, Aryanna Ordonez, Brianna Silva, and Giselle Trevino. 

 

National Indigenous Recognition Program: 

Students considered for the Indigenous Recognition Program must identify as Alaska Native, Native American, or Native Hawaiian.

  • Brandeis HS: Caeden Arrington
  • Clark HS: Natalie Gout, and Bella Lo Duca
  • Communications Arts HS: Brynn Dominguez, Kylie Douglas
  • Harlan HS: Caitlyn Baney
  • Health Careers HS: Ramwel Anghelo Argosino, Ainsley Weiss
  • O’Connor HS: Aidan Arviso, Isabella Pinkson
  • Taft HS: Sienna Diaz-De Leon and Tremaine Smith 

 

National African-American Recognition Program: 

The College Board’s National African American Recognition Program is an academic honor for academically exceptional African American students who have scored in the top 10 percent of the state on the PSAT or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP exams by their junior year 

  • Brandeis HS: Christopher Bryson, Karen Kofoworola-Kuti, and Zada Sumpter
  • Clark HS: Camila Gonzalez, Stacey-Ole Nnate, Elijah Olive, Olumayowa Osowo, Kaiden Skiles, Jalen Velasco, Kai Velasco, and Leila Wald
  • Communications Arts HS: Jala Askew, Aika Meleus, and Nyla Pearson
  • Construction Careers Academy: Skye Stephens
  • Harlan HS: Gianni Baskin, Maddox Childs, Jazmine Dearlove, Samuel Hamman, Xander Murray, Chizitere Ohaji, Alan Raymond, Tristen Taylor, Jasmine Williams, Gabriella Zukow 
  • Health Careers HS: Crystal Aniekwena, Tia Reed 
  • Holmes HS: Eunice Adoe
  • Jay HS: Deborah Obadiah
  • Marshall Law & Medical Services: Taniyah Hicks
  • NSITE: Cassaundra Ritch
  • O’Connor HS: Daniel Edeni, Kenneth Joseph, Jazmine Sharp
  • Stevens HS: Jaidyn Myers, Kiana Simpson, Nicole Vanegas,  and Khaliha Woods
  • Taft HS: Niana Cano, Ivan Garcia, Jordan Plunkett, and Tremaine Smith
  • Warren HS: Terrance Clark and Xavier English

 

National Rural and Small Town Award:

Students are considered for the Rural and Small-Town Recognition Program based on the location of their high school.

Harlan HS: Marcus Fojas, Sarah Goll, Alana Raymond, Tyler Westbrook