In honor of their accomplishments, University of Texas Permian Basin STEM Academy honored its top five students Monday in the Science and Technology Building on the university campus.
Graduation is set for 7 p.m. May 27 at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. The senior class has 38 students.
When STEM had its first graduating class last year, Principal Cody Griffin said he knew almost every single one of the students and their post high school plans.
“I get to continue that distinction of knowing these kids just as well,” Griffin said.
He added that he has met nearly every student and their parents on more than one occasion.
“It’s an honor for a public educator. You can’t say that in really, really large schools, and that’s one of the advantages of being in our school,” Griffin said.
Rachel Wilson, 18 and the valedictorian of the class, plans to attend University of Texas San Antonio honors college to study architecture and Savannah McKay, 18, and No. 4 in the class, is going to Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla to study civil engineering.
“I’m really excited and proud of everyone and all of their hard work. From freshman year, it’s been the goal,” Wilson said.
McKay said she feels that all the time and energy that they have put into their work is being represented in a positive way.
Wilson has been at STEM since fifth grade and McKay has attended since sophomore year.
“It’s been an experience,” Wilson said. It’s definitely been very beneficial for me. I think that everything that I’ve learned there is going to help me in my future and that there’s memories that I will carry forever.”
McKay said out of all the schools that she’s been to, STEM has provided her the most opportunities and the most lifelong friendships and relationships.
Hagen Miller, 17, is graduating a year early and plans to attend UTPB to major in history and minor in education with the goal of teaching history.
Miller, who will be a Capitol page in Austin this summer, has been attending STEM for eight years.
He said he wasn’t constantly thinking about making the top five and he didn’t slack.
“… It just kind of happened. I think the bigger thing that I always tried to do was to do as many dual credit courses as possible. And that just in turn gave me enough credits to do both of these (graduate early and earn a top five spot),” Miller said.
“That’s the bigger note there is that I tried to do as much dual credit as humanly possible,” he added.
“The work I put in yesterday has definitely benefited me today, especially with the college courses because I’m so far ahead of where I could be and this is just a sign of that hard work, so it definitely was worth it,” he said.
Miller, ranked No. 3, said STEM Academy was always the best fit for him.
“The staff alone, they put so much love into their lessons and the school is just designed so well in comparison to the bigger high schools. I could never have seen myself fitting in anywhere else,” Miller said.
Salutatorian Grace Herrera, 18, will also go to UTPB to study biology, but she plans to become a speech pathologist.
“I’m really honored and I’m excited,” Herrera said of her ranking. She has been attending STEM Academy since seventh grade.
Getting into the top five was something she had gone for since she started high school, so she started taking dual credit classes and going for all A’s.
Herrera said she really enjoyed STEM Academy and the project-based learning.
“I feel like that helped me out a lot. You get a lot of team building skills from it. I liked being able to take dual credit, too, to get a lot of college out of the way,” she added.
She said the small class size has been helpful because you get more one-on-one time with teachers and you can get help more easily.
Jaida Wilson, 18, No. 5 in the class, also plans to attend UTPB and wants to be a teacher.
“I’m just happy I got this far,” Wilson said of being in the top five.
She has been going to STEM Academy since sixth grade.
“I love it. I like how everybody is so close to each other,” Wilson said.
She noted that the small class size is helpful because you know everyone whereas at the larger high schools there are thousands of students.
UTPB STEM Academy Top 5
1. Rachel Wilson.
2. Grace Herrera.
3. Hagen Miller.
4. Savannah McKay.
5. Jaida Wilson.
