Bright Star Scholars honored at banquet

Twelve of the county’s brightest stars were honored Wednesday night at a celebration banquet held by the John and Deborah Gillis Foundation in their honor. Typically, only 10 students from Hopkins County schools are named as Bright Star Scholars, which comes with not only a $40,000 scholarship to be paid in increments of $5,000 per semester, renewable for up to four years or eight semester for postsecondary education or vocational training.

The program began four years ago, the realization of the Gillis’ dream of one day being able to offer funding to help promising young people with a need to achieve career training and education they might not otherwise be able to attain, furthering career goals of future servant leaders. The foundation follows the students annually, checking in on them and making sure they have the support they need to be successful in their studies. This year, not only did many of that first group of Bright Star Scholars graduate from college, the program also had its first student earn a master’s degree. And, annually, the Bright Stars join the Gillises and foundation board, and selection committee involved in the application screening and interview process in serving the new Bright Star Scholars and their families during the banquet, and welcoming them to the Bright Star family.

Although it was a hard year for the program, the foundation soldiered on, checking in on their Bright Stars. This year, at the banquet, two videos, one featuring past year’s recipients and another introducing the new program recipients and welcoming them to the Bright Star family, the videographers worked with the students to compile a video in honor of Johnny Gillis. Students expressed the impact he and the foundation have had on their lives, the experiences they’ve had at home and some in other countries, and the opportunities it’s given them not only to succeed but to pay it forward by helping to serve others.

The application scoring process is always difficult, with so many deserving youth applying annually. This year was even harder based on the high caliber of servant leaders, many who want careers than will bring them home to Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County to work and help others. At the end of the day, After reviewing 78 applications and issuing a score of up to 16 based on an established rubric, the different between the top 20 students scored was 15.53 at 20 and 16 at the top.

Debbie Gillis noted that a decision was made to sponsor two extra students, to meet Johnny’s dream of having at least one student from each school within Hopkins County among the year’s Bright Star Scholars.

“We are glad to be in a position to give. This year we are doing 12. Every year we wish to do more. All have desires and are hard workers. We are proud to help this bunch. They are already having an impact on Sulphur Springs,” Debbie Gillis said.

These students aren’t like many young people who forget where they are from, who helped raise them up, who have a need to go. Most have a desire to return to give back to the community, to pass on their good fortune, to help lift others up through work and community service, Gillis Foundation Executive Director Robin Shrode noted.

Gillis and Shrode said John “would be ecstatic,” and over the moon to see that every school in Hopkins County is represented among the 12 students selected as 2023 Bright Star Scholars.

“These 12 are amazing kids,” Shrode told those present at the May 31 banquet, then to the scholars added,. “You are the best o the best… I believe with all of my heart you are here for a purpose. You stood out as the finest in Hopkins County.”

As each new Bright Star Scholar was announced, some of the things that make them such stand-outs were noted. They then received an award and certificate from Debbie Gillis.

Among the 2023 Bright. Star Scholars were five students who last week graduated from Sulphur Springs High School, two from Como-Pickton High, and one each from Saltillo, Miller Grove, Cumby Collegiate and Sulphur Bluff High Schools.

SSHS graduate Brooklynn Shackelford, daughter of Heather and Spenser Daniel and Justin Shackelford, plans to attend Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where she will major in finance. She plans to earn both bachelors and master’s degrees, and would ultimately like to be a financial analyst or investment banker.

Shackelford said her greatest accomplishment so far has been receiving the Bright Star scholarship.

“I am so blessed to be a part of this organization, and so incredibly grateful for this opportunity,” she said.

One additional goal she hopes to achieve is being able to give back to the community, to “be able to touch people’s lives in a positive way.”

Cumby High School graduate Mariana Ugalde, daughter of Omar and Dinora Ugalde, plans to attend Tyler Junior College to major in diagnostic medical sonography, with a goal of becoming an Ob-Gyn diagnostic sonographer.

She considers her biggest accomplishment to date to be graduating high school with her associate’s degree. She graduated from Paris Junior College two full weeks before she graduated from Cumby Collegiate High School.

She said she plans to have her degree by 2027 and to be working full time in an Ob-Gyn clinic.

SSHS graduate Keziah Sims is the daughter of Felicia and Vincent Sims. She plans to attend Tyler Junior College to major in education, with a goal of teaching in early childhood education.

She said being named a national qualifier by Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE).

Sims said one of her greatest accomplishments is persevering through the learning challenges she has faced. One goal she hopes to achieve in the future is to finish college and obtain her degree.

Sulphur Bluff graduate Jasmin Wade is the daughter of Jerry Wade and Leticia Wade, and younger sister of 2021 Bright Star Scholar Jada Wade. She plans to attend College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri, where she will major in social work and child studies, with a goal of one day working in the foster care field or becoming an elementary social worker.

She said her greatest accomplishment to date is “being able to overcome life, and everything I have had to go through to get where I am today. Also, the blessing of being a recipient of the Bright Stars scholarship. This is such an honor and something that I will not just be thankful for today, but for the rest of my life.”

Her life goal is to be able to “impact the lives of children, even if it is just one child. I want to be the person for children that I needed when I was little. In any way I am able, I want to make others feel loved and remind them that they are not victims of their circumstances.”

SSHS graduate Rebekah Stanley is the daughter of Brandee and Rob Stanley. She plans to attend Texas A&M University-College Station, where she will major in kinesiology, with a goal of becoming a licensed physical therapist.

She said graduating in the top 10% of her senior class was a huge accomplishment. Her greatest accomplishment so far, however, was overcoming a large knee surgery. She said she is proud of remaining a positive example to those around her amid the hardship.

She said her goal in becoming a licensed physical therapist is to help others in their recovery process as she has been helped.

Saltillo High School graduate Luke Ritter is the son of Shavon and Casey Ritter. He plans to attend the University of Texas-Tyler to major in nursing. After graduating, he wants to work in pediatric oncology as a Registered Nurse. He said he wants to provide quality care to oncology patients in Hopkins County as a nurse practitioner.

He noted among his hobbies working in a local Brookshire’s Pharmacy.

Ritter said while he’s had some of his great accomplishments, the greatest has been winning at state in cross country and being named a member of the All-State team and being chosen as a Bright Star scholarship recipient.

Nick Cantillo, son of Nixon and Altagracia Cantillo, graduated early in December of 2022 from SSHS and attended Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma during the spring semester. He plans to transfer to Texas A&M-Commerce, where he will major in business administration. He ultimately wants to graduate with a master’s in the subject, and is interested in entrepreneurship.

He said one of his greatest accomplishments to date is getting where he is today and being the first Cantillo in his family to attend college.

One of his personal goals is to inspire others in a way that impacts the generations following behind him.

CPHS graduate Christian Gilbreath is the son of Rebecca Gilbreath and Daniel Gilbreath. He plans to attend Northeast Texas Community College, where he’s been accepted into the Honors College. He is seeking a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and ultimately plans to a career in child psychiatry which involves going to medical school.

He said he two biggest accomplishments have been remaining in the top 10% in his class while balancing all of his extracurricular activities, and recovering from an ACL tear his junior year and recovering enough to be a regional qualifier in track as a senior.

SSHS graduate Addisyn Wall is the daughter of Jessica and Jamie Hogan and Geoff Wall. She plans to attend Tyler Junior College, where she will major in dental hygiene. She has set at goal of being accepted into a dental hygiene school on her first try.

She said he greatest accomplishment to date becoming a coach for Reign Club volleyball.

“It has been incredibly rewarding to give the girls an opportunity to grow as both players and teammates. I have learned from them just as much as they have learned from me. They taught me how to appreciate the game from an entirely different perspective. I am very proud that I have been able to be the role model I wish I had at their age,” Wall said.

Miller Grove High School graduate Kavan Smith is the son of James and Marcella Hayden. he plans to attend A&M College Station to major in computer science and engineering, and wonts to work in the computer science field after graduation.

He said maintaining his valedictorian status while balancing life and sports is his biggest accomplishment thus far.

One additional goal this high achiever want to one day achieve is having a net worth of $1 million..

CPHS graduate Lauren Lewellen was unable to attend the celebration banquet earlier this week. She was with her teammates on the field for the state softball championship at that time.

Lewellen, daughter of Jeannie Pol and John Lewellen, plans to attend Tyler Junior College, where she will major in nursing, then wants to become an ultrsound technician.

She said her biggest accomplishment was “when I decided to give my life to Christ and pick up His cross daily.”

In the future, she said she hopes to become successful in her career and to serve the people in this community.

North Hopkins High School graduate Valerie Timko is the daughter of Richard Timko and Linda Stoddard. She plans to attend Texas A&M-Commerce, where she will major in education, and attain a fourth through eighth grade math and science certification in order to one day teach math at the elementary and/or middle school levels.

She considers being accepted into the TAMUC Honors College a huge honor and her biggest accomplishment to date.

She said in the future she hopes to make an impact on the lives of people, especially students.