Seniors receive faculty's top recognition
cover story february 10, 2017
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I think it’s important to participate. Being involved helps form new bonds and relationships. Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself. Sometimes you have to color outside the lines even if it’s a little uncomfortable.
”
Isabella Gonzales All-Burges Girl
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03
Getting here isn’t necessarily hard, it’s a matter of dedication. It’s deciding to stay a little bit longer than you should. It’s giving up your Saturdays. It’s telling yourself, ‘You know what, I can do better, I just have to give it five percent more.’
Seth Van Matre All-Burges Boy
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Seniors receive faculty’s top recognition juan rodriguez reporter
I
t begins. She listens as principal Randall Woods reads the list. The first six names have been mentioned, and senior Isabella Gonzales fears she hasn’t been chosen as a top 10 senior. Just when she is about to lose hope, she hears her name. Tears begin to flow down her face as she realizes she has been recognized as All-Burges Girl. “Burges hasn’t only been my high school,” she said, “It’s been my home. I have been passionate about this school since I was nine. I’m so glad to have been able to give it all I got. Although I’m going to Texas Tech next year, I hope to be able to remain involved in this school. Hopefully, one day I can come back and teach here. That would be a dream come true.” The class of ‘17 top 10 senior nominees began with 44 students. Teachers met with their departments to nominate deserving students. From there, students had to fill out a packet, including providing three letters of teacher recommendation. Of the 44
nominated, 30 completed the paperwork. The honors committee, made up of 10 teachers, then voted on paper. Names were marked out to eliminate favoritism. “The whole process is meant to be very objective,” U.S. History teacher Daniel Skertchly, who served on the honors committee, said. “We are not given the name of students; it is all anonymous. There are certain criteria, such as grades and character, on which we judge them based on a rubric system. We each ranked them, and whoever had the most votes for number one got the spot and we went from there.” Off campus when the announcement was made, Seth Van Matre got a message. He sees the word, “Congratulations.” Teachers had chosen him “All-Burges Boy.” “I didn’t get this achievement by myself,” Van Matre said. “It was a combination of things. My family, for one, has
Tristan Fournier Ryann Parham
Jaeden Fiocca Outstanding Citizen
always been there for me. They have had to drive me all around town for speech and debate. Sometimes, the best support is being awake when your kid shows up at 12 o’clock after a tournament. It was those little things, things like cooking up my favorite meal after a cross country meet, that pushed me to go forward.” Joining Gonzales and Van Matre are outstanding citizens Jaeden Fiocca and Jaymee Saldivar. Rounding out the top 10 are Tristan Fournier, Arielle Mack, Valerie Chavez, Ryann Parham, and Italy Ramos. While Van Matre owes his accomplishment to his family, senior Leonor Jimenez, who is active in JROTC, attributes her achievement to her role models on campus. “I’m honored to be recognized as a top 10 senior,” Jimenez said. “I owe a lot of it to Colonel [Juan] Vera and Sergeant [Jose] Hernandez. They aren’t only my mentors, but I see them as father figures as well, not only in school but in life. They have taught me a lot of things that I
needed to learn before I leave high school. They have a lot of wisdom, and I couldn’t have made it without their help.” Fiocca received the news from Saldivar. “I don’t have first period, so I wasn’t there when the announcement was made,” Jaeden Fiocca said. “I rolled over in bed and saw the message. My sister was home, so she was the first person I told. She got the same award when she graduated in 2014, and it felt great to have the same recognition.” Saldivar, who serves as National Honor Society president, said there were many deserving candidates. “I’m definitely not going to stop here,” Saldivar said. “I’ve applied to a few Ivy League schools, and I’m not about to let my grades start slipping. I have grown a lot in the last four years, and I intend to grow as much as I can in the remainder of the semester. But, I have no doubt that my growth will really kick in when I dive into the unknown in college. I’m excited, and I know I’ll carry the lessons I learned here into college and try to apply them in a broader spectrum.”
Jaymee Saldivar Outstanding Citizen Leonor Jimenez
Italy Ramos
Valerie Chavez Arielle Mack
“
I think it’s important to participate. Being involved helps form new bonds and relationships. Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself. Sometimes you have to color outside the lines even if it’s a little uncomfortable.
”
Isabella Gonzales All-Burges Girl
“
03
Getting here isn’t necessarily hard, it’s a matter of dedication. It’s deciding to stay a little bit longer than you should. It’s giving up your Saturdays. It’s telling yourself, ‘You know what, I can do better, I just have to give it five percent more.’
Seth Van Matre All-Burges Boy
”
Seniors receive faculty’s top recognition juan rodriguez reporter
I
t begins. She listens as principal Randall Woods reads the list. The first six names have been mentioned, and senior Isabella Gonzales fears she hasn’t been chosen as a top 10 senior. Just when she is about to lose hope, she hears her name. Tears begin to flow down her face as she realizes she has been recognized as All-Burges Girl. “Burges hasn’t only been my high school,” she said, “It’s been my home. I have been passionate about this school since I was nine. I’m so glad to have been able to give it all I got. Although I’m going to Texas Tech next year, I hope to be able to remain involved in this school. Hopefully, one day I can come back and teach here. That would be a dream come true.” The class of ‘17 top 10 senior nominees began with 44 students. Teachers met with their departments to nominate deserving students. From there, students had to fill out a packet, including providing three letters of teacher recommendation. Of the 44
nominated, 30 completed the paperwork. The honors committee, made up of 10 teachers, then voted on paper. Names were marked out to eliminate favoritism. “The whole process is meant to be very objective,” U.S. History teacher Daniel Skertchly, who served on the honors committee, said. “We are not given the name of students; it is all anonymous. There are certain criteria, such as grades and character, on which we judge them based on a rubric system. We each ranked them, and whoever had the most votes for number one got the spot and we went from there.” Off campus when the announcement was made, Seth Van Matre got a message. He sees the word, “Congratulations.” Teachers had chosen him “All-Burges Boy.” “I didn’t get this achievement by myself,” Van Matre said. “It was a combination of things. My family, for one, has
Tristan Fournier Ryann Parham
Jaeden Fiocca Outstanding Citizen
always been there for me. They have had to drive me all around town for speech and debate. Sometimes, the best support is being awake when your kid shows up at 12 o’clock after a tournament. It was those little things, things like cooking up my favorite meal after a cross country meet, that pushed me to go forward.” Joining Gonzales and Van Matre are outstanding citizens Jaeden Fiocca and Jaymee Saldivar. Rounding out the top 10 are Tristan Fournier, Arielle Mack, Valerie Chavez, Ryann Parham, and Italy Ramos. While Van Matre owes his accomplishment to his family, senior Leonor Jimenez, who is active in JROTC, attributes her achievement to her role models on campus. “I’m honored to be recognized as a top 10 senior,” Jimenez said. “I owe a lot of it to Colonel [Juan] Vera and Sergeant [Jose] Hernandez. They aren’t only my mentors, but I see them as father figures as well, not only in school but in life. They have taught me a lot of things that I
needed to learn before I leave high school. They have a lot of wisdom, and I couldn’t have made it without their help.” Fiocca received the news from Saldivar. “I don’t have first period, so I wasn’t there when the announcement was made,” Jaeden Fiocca said. “I rolled over in bed and saw the message. My sister was home, so she was the first person I told. She got the same award when she graduated in 2014, and it felt great to have the same recognition.” Saldivar, who serves as National Honor Society president, said there were many deserving candidates. “I’m definitely not going to stop here,” Saldivar said. “I’ve applied to a few Ivy League schools, and I’m not about to let my grades start slipping. I have grown a lot in the last four years, and I intend to grow as much as I can in the remainder of the semester. But, I have no doubt that my growth will really kick in when I dive into the unknown in college. I’m excited, and I know I’ll carry the lessons I learned here into college and try to apply them in a broader spectrum.”
Jaymee Saldivar Outstanding Citizen Leonor Jimenez
Italy Ramos
Valerie Chavez Arielle Mack
