Over $339,500 in scholarships were announced at the Como-Pickton Senior Academic Awards Ceremony in the secondary cafeteria Monday, May 18.
Principal Kelly Baird gave the welcome and senior Talon Pierson lead the audience in the Pledges of Allegiance.
During the scholarship portion of the evening, it was announced valedictorian Cade Childress has been awarded a scholarship valued at more than $13,000 to cover his first year of tuition at Texas A&M University for being the first ranked graduate. He was also awarded the Como-Pickton Little Dribblers Scholarship alongside Claire Jalufka and Saylor Smith. He was recognized as making the highest grade in architecture and design and anatomy and physiology, and won the Soaring Eagle award for outstanding work unrelated to grades in Spanish III.
Salutatorian Saylor Smith received a full ride to the University of Texas at Tyler, valued around $48,000. She was also awarded a $2,000 Hopkins-Rains Farm Bureau scholarship. She was recognized for having the highest average in Art IV.
Claire Jalufka was awarded the $1,000 City National Bank Scholarship, a $1,000 Hopkins County Dairy Festival Scholarship, a $5,000 Hopkins County Junior Commercial Heifer Scholarship, a $1,000 Hopkins County Genealogical Society Scholarship, the $1,250 NETBIO Carson Hicks Memorial Scholarship, the $2,250 North East Texas Livestock Association Scholarship and the $1,000 Rotary Club Scholarship.
Lynleigh Waldon, Bianca Ramirez and Adriana Enriquez received $500 CDF Como and Sanitation Solutions Scholarships. Waldon was also awarded the CPCISD Athletic Booster War Eagle Spirit Scholarship for $500, a $1,000 Hopkins County Freedom Ball Scholarship. Waldon and Dane Oud received $750 Yantis Masonic Lodge Al Golden Scholarship. Yantis Masonic Lodge also presented an educator award, voted on by the faculty, to Michael Bowen.
Waldon, Ashton Cotten, Adriana Enriquez, Karen Mares, Talon Pierson, Skyla Smith and Esther Steele also received Academic Excellence Scholarship from UT Tyler .
UT Tyler gave out more than $125,000 in scholarships during the ceremony.
Waldon too was recognized for receiving the highest grade in career preparation and dual credit English classes.
Skyla Smith was recognized for having the highest grade for college algebra.
Payton Hunt, Baelin Gillis, Austin Guy and Manuel Martinez were presented $1000 Kaleb Mund Scholarships. Hunt, Dane Oud and Esther Steele also received $3,500 Finis and Onree Attlesey and Garland and Sweet Gamblin Scholarships. Hunt was awarded a $1,000 Greenland Baptist Church Scholarship.
John and Debra Gillis Foundation Bright Star Scholarships for $40,000 were presented to Justiss Larkin and Esther Steele. Larkin also received the UT-Tyler Patriot Scholarship with Liam Clay and America Madrigal. Larkin also received the Soaring Eagle award for yearbook, and was recognized for receiving the highest grade in Coach Trevor Wallace’s financial math class.
Dane Oud received a $6,000 athletic scholarship and $6,000 academic scholarship to attend Henderson State University. He was also awarded the $250 Cassie Edwards Scholarship.
Karen Mares received a $750 Columbia Lodge No. 81 Scholarship and a $1,000 Farmers Electric Cooperative Scholarship. She was received the Soaring Eagle award for dual credit economics and government.
Talon Pierson and Skyla Smith were awarded the CPCISD Athletic Booster War Eagle Pride Scholarship for $750. Pierson, Payton Hunt, Adrian Ledesma, and Skyla Smith also received a $1,000 Como-Pickton Future Farmers of America Scholarship. Pierson and Liam Clay each received a $1,000 Como-Pickton Administration Scholarship. She also received the highest grade in fashion design.
The Como-Pickton Band Booster Scholarship for $500 was awarded to Adriana Enriquez. She was also recognized for achieving the highest grade in Spanish III.
Jacob Kettwich was awarded $66,000 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Chancellor Scholarship. Kettwich also received the Soaring Eagle award for college algebra.
From the Como-Pickton Athletic Boosters, the War Eagle Honors Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 was awarded to Maud Poortvliet. She was also awarded the Soaring Eagle award for college statistics.
Austin Guy received the Ethan Ham Scholarship for $1,000.
Northeast Texas Community College presented an $18,000 Athletic Scholarship to Graci Adair, and a $12,000 Athletic Scholarship to Paisley Watkins. Watkins also received the highest grade in the health science practicum class.
Shayden Griner was presented the highest grade award for the agricultural equipment design and fabrication class, dual credit economics and government, and the Soaring Eagle award for practicum of architecture and construction.
Quan Phan was awarded the highest grade in economics, college statistics and the Soaring Eagle award for financial math.
Esther Steele was recognized for receiving the highest grade in biblical literacy, and the Soaring Eagle award for Spanish II and dual credit English.
Liam Clay received the highest grade in the practicum of architecture and construction class, government and financial math.
Nathan Robinson received the Soaring Eagle award for agricultural equipment design and fabrication and one act play.
Roberto Miranda received the Soaring Eagle award for English IV and biblical literacy.
Rylee Hockett received the Soaring Eagle award in anatomy and physiology and art IV.
Other students who received the highest grade awards include Adrian Ledesma for practicum in agriculture; Santiago Pina in construction tech II, Jorge Garcia in principles of construction; Bianca Ramirez in AVID; Ashton Cotten for English IV; Kaitlyn Manns for one act play; and Jeremiah Hammon in forensic science.
The remaining Soaring Eagle awards were presented to Kevin McDaniel for practicum in agriculture; Baelin Gillis for career preparation; Manuel Martinez for economics; Sarah Corley in government; Sadie Wetzel in forensic science; and Israel Sanchez in financial math.
Graduates were awarded chords denoting A Honor Roll; AB Honor Roll; being blood donors; Family, Career and Community Leaders of America; yearbook, Spanish Club, Armed Forces commitments; National Honor Society; honor graduates; and 13-year Eagles.
Cade Childress, Saylor Smith, Sean Carpenter, Skyla Smith, Maud Poortvliet, Adriana Enriquez, Talon Pierson, Lynleigh Waldon, Claire Jalufka and Dane Oud were recognized as the top 10 graduates.