Seniors receive awards at ceremony

The Sulphur Springs High School Senior Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, May 16 drew a big crowd in the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center.

'We've been doing senior activities all day. They have a lot of loot,” said SSHS Principal Josh Williams, referring to the more than $1.5 million in scholarships and financial awards the Senior Class of 2023 have received so far, with scholarships still coming in; with military awards, the total is closer to $2 million. “We have 21 students now here who are involved in UIL activities, racking up even more awards. The is one of the largest crowds I have seen.”

Williams introduced the top 10 percent of the 2023 graduating class. The group was honored earlier on May 16 at the Honors Breakfast.

Several of the students slated to receive awards are still in competition.

Salutatorian Lausen Ost did not get to receive his certificate of achievement from teacher Beth Cole for being in the Texas Music Educators Association All-State Mixed Choir.

Local banker and civic leader John Campbell presented four different awards for different groups.

Campbell gave out $2,500 SSISD Educational Foundation Scholarships to Jayla Abron, Axel Garcia, Colbie Glenn and Kamilah Martinez.

The Patsy Bolton Scholarship for $500 went to Glenn.

Matthew Clarke was presented an $8,000 scholarship by Campbell on behalf of Alliance Bank.

Campbell, a member of the Lions Club, gave $1,000 scholarships to Jayla Abron, Miley Fisher, Mattye Schmidt and Khira Young.

Jossie Jimmerson presented Martin Luther King Junior Legacy Scholarships to Colby Glenn and Jadyn Harper, $1,000 each, and Matthew Clarke and Khira Young, $650 a piece.

Abbey Roper and Natalie White gave the $9,200 Ceely Stout Memorial Scholarship to Miley Fisher.

Josh Hood gave the Landon Brody Dyer Memorial Scholarship for $1,000 to Matthew Clarke.

Hood then , presented Grocery Supply Company Scholarships in the amount of $2,000 each to Axel Garcia, Colbie Glenn, Martha Gonzales and Aubrey Williams.

Nancy Moore, representing the Hopkins-Rains Retired School Personnel, gave a $500 scholarship to Colbie Glenn.

Sulphur Springs Masonic Lodge No. 221, represented by Bill Sachs, gave a $1,500 scholarship to Zoe Haywood.

Brooke Howard gave Hopkins County Dairy Festival Scholarships to Sallee Spraggins, $1,500; Colby Glenn, $1,250; Jocelyne Yanez, $750; and Madelyn Sherman, $500.

The PACE scholarship was given by Brooke Howard to Madelyn Sherman in the amount of $1,000.

Amy Griggs presented the Teen Court Scholarship for $400 to Ashland Hooten.

David Froneberger, president of the Sulphur Springs Kiwanis Club, gave $1,500 scholarships to Colbie Glenn and Isabelle Thesing.

Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce CEO Butch Burney presented Matthew Clarke with a $1,000 scholarship for adult leadership.

Tammy Carrell gave out Sgt. Tanner Stone Higgins Military Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 to Jazzmine Rodriguez and $700 to James Minyard.

The Helen Ewing Ditto True Grit Award for $1,000 was given by Vanessa Abron to Cristalyn Bagunas.

Kati Adair of the Mothers' Culture Club, gave $1,000 scholarships to Jillian jumper and Madelyn Sherman.

Sulphur Springs ISD Director of Bands Spencer Emmert presented a $750 Band Boosters Scholarship to Aubrey Williams. He also gave a $750 scholarship in honor of late SSISD Band Director Charles McCauley to Catherine De La Rosa.

Lydia Walden presented $1,000 Freedom Ball Scholarship on behalf of the Hopkins County Veterans Memorial Committee to Martha Gonzales and Olivia Worth.

United States Military Service Recognition went to James Minyard and Kobe Walker, U.S. Marines; Jazzmine Rodriquez, U.S. Air Force; and Caden Ray of the U.S. Army.

Athletic Director Brandon Faircloth recognized the following students who have been awarded athletic scholarships: Crimson Bryant, The University of Texas-Tyler, softball; Aubrey Camacho, LeTourneau University, soccer; Nick Cantillo, East Texas Baptist University, cheerleading; Sean Dial, Henderson State University, football; Riley Hammons, Missouri Southern State University, football; Jadyn Harper, Langston University, softball; Caleb Kesting, East Texas Baptist University, golf; Branson Lynn, Le-Tourneau University, basketball; Matt Mitchell, Clarendon College, baseball; Isabelle Thesing, Maine Maritime Academy, soccer; Kordrick Turner and Parker Whisenhunt, Paris Junior College, basketball; C.J. Williams, University of Central Oklahoma, football; and Kenzie Willis, Collin College, basketball.

Faircloth also recognized athletes who earned superlative awards.

The James Cameron Fighting Heart Award went to Laney Hurst for volleyball, powerlifting and track; Sean Dial, football powerlifting and track; and Matthew Mitchell, football, powerlifting and baseball.

Diane Wilson and Jennifer Davidson presented the Jake C. Wilson Memorial Scholarship award for $1,000 to Colbie Glenn.

Teacher Debra Stribling presented three scholarships. The Junior Waverly Club $750 scholarship went to Colbie Glenn. Allarea Black Scholarship for $200 each went to Jillian Jumper, Mykylie Meador and Kaylee Schumacher. The Texas Alpha Delta Kappa Beta Nu Scholarship for $100 was presented the Ali Landers.

Mykylie Meador was also the recipient of an East Texas Coaches Association Scholarship for $500.

James Goggans Memorial Scholarships were presented by Goggans’ family members to Bridger Mayhew, $10,000; and Clancy Mayo, Ella Ray, Sallee Spraggins, Spencer Thurman and Aubrey Williams, $5,000 each.

Laura Cote presented the Sulphur Springs Soccer Association Tommy Long - Weldon Faulks Scholarships as follows: Isabelle Thesing, $1,000; Aubrey Camacho, $500; and Zoe Haywood and Alexis Mc-Coy, $250 each.

Colbie Glenn was presented the Dial Study Club Scholarship for $250 by Vanessa Abron. Principal Josh Williams also awarded Colbie Glenn with a $500 Faulk Scholarship.

Robin Shrode, representing the John and Deborah Gillis Foundation, awarded $40,000 Bright Star Scholarships to Nick Cantillo, Brooklynn Shackelford, Keziah Sims, Rebekah Stanley and Addisyn Wall.

Agriculture teacher John Holland said the FFA awards were given at the recent agriculture banquet.

Holland said Tripp Smith earned the $500 Bobby McDonald Scholarship; Mattye Schmidt and Rebekah Stanley, $1,000 each for the Sterling and Eva Beckham Memorial Scholarship; Jose Flores, $500 for the Billy Conner Scholarship; and Wayne Hinton a $1,000 John Boles Memorial Scholarship NETLA Scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each went to Wayne Hinton, and $1,500 each to Tripp Smith and Rebekah Stanley.

Danielle Dawkins presented $2,000 City National Bank Scholarships in honor of Tim Glenn to Catherine De La Rosa, Wayne Hinton, Ella Ray, Olivia Worth and Khira Young.

Dr. Marian Ellis presented Cassie Edwards Scholarships to Kenziah Sims, $4,500; TaMiyah Rose, $1,750; Jayla Abron, $950; and Tia Nash, $350.

Tommy Harrison and his Masonic brothers presented Columbia Lodge No. 81 scholarships to in the amount of $1,150 to Keifer Williams and $900 to Jadyn Harper.

Chaney Johnson of the Rotary Club gave out scholarships from money raised in the recent Claws For A Cause event. Jillian Jumper was given $5,000; and Matthew Clarke, Madelyn Sherman and Rebekah Sherman received $3,000 each.

Amy Ridner presented the Health Occupations Student Association (HOSA) Future Health Professionals Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 to Daniel Elam and $750 to Maleah Doss.

Vanessa Abron gave Madelyn Sherman a $500 scholarship from Farmers Electric Cooperative.

Debbie Stribling presented the Finis and Onree Attlesey and Garland and Sweet Gamblin Scholarships in the amount of $750 each to Jordyn Huckabee and Mali Maeker.

Mali Maker was given the $1,500 Perry F. Bradley Jr. Scholarship and the $500 Perry F. Bradley III Scholarship went to Briley Vice.

The Peggy Reynolds Dallas Morning News Scholarship for $250 went to Jillian Jumper.

The Clayton and Graves Scholarship for $1,000 went to Allison Peckham.

Martha Gonzalez and Khira Young each were awarded $1,000 scholarships from Coca-Cola.

The Jo McCain Trust Scholarship for $5,000 each went to Catherine De La Rosa and Axel Garcia.

Williams too presented institutional merit awards as follows:

•Jocelyne Yanez, a $64,000 Baylor University Merit Scholarship;

•Emery Clayton, a Christian Leadership Scholarship for $18,000 and Dean Scholarship for $32,000 — East Texas Baptist University;

•Jillian Jumper was given a Kansas State Wildcat Non-Resident Award of $80,355

•Aubrey Camacho, a $56,000 Founders Scholarship, and Branson Lynn, a $68,000 Deans Scholarship with a $8,000 Trustee Scholarship — LeTourneau University;

•Isabelle Thesing, an Admiral's 'Be the One' Scholarship, $14,000 from Maine Maritime Academy;

•Jordyn Huckabee, a $24,000 Hettie M. Fincher Scholarship, and Hannah Hughes, a $16,000 Mary R. Gallaspy Scholarship, a $16,000 Marching Trumpet Scholarship and a $6,800 CAPA-Varnado Hall Scholarship — Northwestern State University of Louisiana; •Miley Fisher, a $32,000 Out-of-State Achievement Award; Drew Hodges $28,000 Academic Achievement Award; and Madelyn Sherman, $52,000 Out-of-State Achievement Award and $1,000 Brighter Orange Award — Northwestern State University-Louisiana;

•Colbie Glenn, $64,000 Founders Scholarship and $16,000 Vocal Scholarship, Ouachita Baptist University

•Paris Junior College, every graduating SSHS senior is eligible for one free class this summer;

•Luke Caton, $10,000 Academic Excellence Award; Chloe Kerns, $10,000 Academic Excellence Award; Karis McGary, $10,372 Purple Promise Scholarship and the $2,900 Lumberjack Freshman Scholarship — Stephen F. Austin University;

•Ella Ray, Opportunity Award for $1,000 and the Tuition Support Award for $1,000 from Texas A&M University-College Station;

•Catherine De La Rosa and Axel Garcia, $8,000 Blue and Gold Scholarships; Martha Gonzalez, $16,000 Presidential Scholarship; Sallee Spraggins, $45,000 Honors College; Aubrey Williams, $45,000 Honors College, $16,000 Presidential Scholarship and $6,000 Music and Housing Scholarship; and Merrin Williams, $45,000 Honors College and $16,000 Presidential Scholarship — Texas A&M University-Commerce; •Matthew Clarke and Brooklynn Shackelford, $88,000 Faculty Scholars Awards, — Texas Christian University;

•Khira Young, $4,000 Dean's Scholarship, $300 Frances Tretton Music Therapy Award, $4,800 Pioneer Orchestra Award and $20,000 Outstanding Scholar award — Texas Womans University;

•Olivia Worth, $24,000 Presidential Merit Scholarship, Texas Tech University;

•Artesia Cheak, $20,000 Dell Scholars award; and Andres Flores, $20,000 Dell Scholars award and $48,000 Texas Impact Scholarship — University of Texas-Austin; and

•Crimson Bryant, $2,000 Patriotic First Year Scholarship; and Laney Hurst, $8.000 Academic Excellence Scholarship and $8,000 Patriot Scholarship — University of Texas-Tyler.