Before Mykayla Clark-Jolivet could begin her high school career at Middle College High School at HCC Fraga, her home was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. This was the first of many challenges she would face on her way to graduating.
Clark-Jolivet and her family left their mold-ruined house to live in a hotel for three months.
“I left a lot of memories behind,” Clark-Jolivet said. “I was constantly late to school because the hotel was across town.”
Continue readingAs Jack Yates High School senior Ernest Russell sat on the school’s football field for the citywide senior celebration recently, it was far more than an event honoring his graduation from the historic school.
The celebration — marked by colorful Yates High School masks and chairs spaced at a proper social distance — represented the culmination of a trying journey that was marked by the loss of his father and homelessness.
“I don’t really have a word to describe it. But, if I had to come up with one, I’d say it was challenging,” Russell said.
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The Houston Independent School held virtual graduation ceremonies on Sunday to celebrate the district’s 11,000-plus graduating seniors.
The virtual commencements were broadcast in partnership with Herff Jones and in collaboration with graduation technology partners StageClip and MarchingOrder. Each virtual ceremony included recorded messages from the superintendent and other district officials, as well as audio of each student’s name as their personalized slide was displayed.
Continue readingThe Marvy Finger Family Foundation awarded a record 84 full scholarships this year to Houston Independent School District graduates who will attend two-year colleges to pursue Career and Technical Education (CTE) certificates and associate’s degrees.
The scholarship recipients are students who are seeking careers in fast-growing, high-paying professions such as computer programming, maritime transportation, petroleum engineering technology, nuclear medicine technology, automotive, HVAC, pipefitting, cybersecurity, construction, licensed vocational nursing, and welding.
“The generosity of the Finger family is well known when it comes to funding post-high school career training and higher education for our graduates, but they have surpassed themselves this year,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “These scholarships are extremely timely and appreciated right now because many of our graduates and their families are experiencing hardships due to COVID-19.”
Continue readingThousands of HISD graduating seniors gathered at their schools last Friday to virtually celebrate their years of hard work with other Houston-area students during the City of Houston’s Citywide Graduation Celebration.
HISD joined four other area school districts – Aldine, Alief, Spring and Spring Branch – in a first-of-its-kind celebration outdoor event that included a star-studded video tribute from a number of national and local celebrities, including Houston Astros All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles.
At Wheatley High School, the event was more than just a graduation celebration. Despite starting the school year as an “Improvement Required” campus, students and staff celebrated a class with a graduation rate of 98% that earned more than three million dollars in scholarship funds.
Continue readingThis was a graduation like no other. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, HISD graduates on Friday were treated to a citywide outdoor celebration in partnership with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
The heat did not put a damper on Worthing High School seniors’ enthusiasm or their determination to make it an evening to remember. Across the district, hundreds of graduates, including the Worthing valedictorian and salutatorian, watched a video of congratulatory messages from local and national celebrities produced by the Mayor’s Office. After that, it was the seniors turn to hear from their principals, teachers, and valedictorians and salutatorians.
Twins Kerdy and Kerdian Baptiste were unique in placing first and second in their senior class at Worthing. Their speeches were filled with inspiring words for fellow students and gratitude toward family members, teachers, advisors, and friends who helped them along the way.
Continue readingHISD Career Readiness students from across the district recorded their plans for after high school during the district’s Virtual Career and Military Signing Day.
Students will be entering the workforce in various career fields, including healthcare, agriculture, food services, public safety, as well as joining the Military.
Continue readingThe HISD UIL Academics Department will host the second annual Academic College Signing Day next week for the district’s top University Interscholastic League (UIL) Academics, Music, and One Act Play students.
With the district closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s signing day, which will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 10, will be virtual and all district UIL students are encouraged to participate.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District has added six school sites to its curbside Summer Meals program, which launched Monday, June 1.
New locations include:
HISD families can now complete the applications necessary to receive Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), a one-time benefit for families who lost access to free or reduced-price meals due to school closures.
The application is available online at yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/PEBT and will be open until June 30.
The $1 billion benefit program was approved by the United States Department of Agriculture to help eligible families buy food during the COVID-19 pandemic. The one-time benefit of up to $285 will be issued on an EBT card, which can be used like a debit card to assist families in buying food from any retailer that accepts the Texas Lone Star Card.
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