The brightest stars of the Class of 2024 galaxy lit up the evening as a community honored their achievement and launched them into a promising future.
The Killeen ISD Education Foundation hosted its annual Starmakers recognition banquet Thursday with family, friends and community sponsors filling the Killeen Civic and Conference Center ballroom.
The school year culminating event honored the top 10 graduating seniors of KISD’s six high schools and their chosen most influential educators.
“Tonight is a celebration of the bond between educators and students, and the sacredness of a high-quality education,” said Foundation Director Leslie Gilmore.
Each high school principal took a turn at the podium, introducing the top 10 academically ranked seniors set to graduate next week and their chosen teacher.
Each pair stepped across the stage, received an award from a major Foundation sponsor and posed for a photo.
The evening culminated with the Kliewer Family Leadership Award, a $10,000 scholarship that went to Serenity Howery, salutatorian of Harker Heights High School.
Finalist award scholarships of $1,000 each went to Max Widacki, Killeen High School salutatorian, and to Vyom Patel, a Harker Heights High School top-10 graduate.
“I’m really appreciative of the Kliewer family’s generosity,” said Howery after winning the surprise scholarship.
“They are model citizens of the community, and what it means to be part of the Harker Heights Killeen area. I’m grateful they believe I can represent that. I want to make sure I uplift those ideals.”
In addition to graduating second in her class, Howery is a National Merit Scholar Finalist, the founding president of the school’s Excel Club, on the debate team and part of the Harker Heights city Teen Court.
She is going to the University of Texas to study biomedical engineering.
While most top students choose relatively recent high school teachers, coaches and directors to join them on the Starmakers stage, a few reach further back in their education.
Killeen High School senior Hugo Velazquez chose the leader of a young man’s leadership group back at East Ward Elementary School. He took the stage with Communities in Schools Site Director David Woodberry.
Woodberry continues to lead the CIS program at Killeen Elementary School.
When he first heard about his selection, the CIS leader showed up for a photo not knowing who had chosen him.
“I didn’t even recognize him. I hadn’t seen him since elementary school and now he’s a giant,” said Woodberry of Velazquez. “It was a huge shock. A good shock.”
The high-ranking KHS senior said he chose the CIS leader because of the early influence he had on him and many other students through a service group called the Gentleman Club.
“The way he took the time to teach community service. He taught us those skills, especially professional skills from a young age,” said Velazquez.
“He was the first educator to teach me how to be a good professional young man. It helped set me up for where I am today.”
Alexis Speakman, valedictorian for Early College High School chose AVID teacher Wayne Spears.
“It means everything,” said Spears, who has been chosen by a Starmaker student five times. “It is validation for all the hard work and effort I’ve put in to motivate. I can look back and say I’ve made an impact.”
“At first, I wasn’t sure about Mr. Spears,” said Speakman, explaining that he is strict, but caring.
“He definitely helped to push me to be the best version of myself. I really like that so that’s why I chose him.”
Superintendent Jo Ann Fey praised students’ hard work and pointed out the deep influence their chosen teachers instilled. After reading through the program booklet, she shared an observation.
“Not one of them talked about how this teacher taught them how to pass a test,” she said. “Every one of them talked about the relationship, the inspiration, the pushing, the high expectations and for that KISD educators, I am so proud.”
“Our foundation is blessed to be able to facilitate such a great event for our outstanding students,” Gilmore said. “Each of them has worked incredibly hard to get to where they are, and that is a testament to the amazing teachers and administrators across our district.”
She also praised the community donors who contribute to allow the foundation to award classroom and professional development grants to teachers and scholarships to seniors.
The Kliewer family and Beck Family Foundation accounted for more than $50,000 in gifts to students and staff in connection to the Starmakers event alone.
Starmaker photo gallery:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720317202997
This year's top 10 students and their chosen educators include the following:
Chaparral High School
Phylicia Adams Briley Cameron
Antonio Atalig Tina Tamplen
Julissa Cato Amy Birtchet
Muhammad Dar Tracy Sibole
Madeleine Fey Shilo Harris
Alicia Garcia Anastasia Winters
Dasani Henriquez Damarys Gonzalez
Emillio Nieves John Cook
Reynaldo Serna Stephen Howdeshell
Keegan Thompson Stacy Terral
Early College High School
Angelina Alvarez Tamara Morgan
Allyson Braegelmann Noel Taylor
Christian Butler John Maxwell
Kimberly Field Margaret Thurman
Aileen Menjivar Brandon Mayse
Rachel Mitchell Margaret Casanova
Siddhika Nepal Chad Pettit
Alexis Speakman Wayne Spears
Elias Tremusini Tyler Cochran
Thanh Truong Myphuong Tran
Ellison High School
Rylee Dickerson Geoffrey VanRiper
Iris Gabino Sarah Noteboom
Brianni Gaines Haley Hersey
Juyoung Kim Andrea Garcia
Katriann Linton Desi Torres
Shelby Martin Kimberly Rogers
Y Nguyen Robin Scheafnocker
Erin Smith Larry Ballard
Jada Stevenson Erik Reynolds
Abigail Wells-Bodon Kelsi Lower
Harker Heights High School
Sarah Gill Rachael Hood
Brooklyn Grannis Suzanne Thompson
Serenity Howery Joshua Kroft
Hanah Kim Lucas Leavitt
June Lee Jesse Cox
Amber Loubiere Steven Burrow
Kelly McGuire Barton Jacques
Victoria McKinney Tyler Henderson
Vyom Patel Margaret Landes
Heema Solanki Lorre Brock
Killeen High School
Israel Finnen Mitchell Gries
Gimena Melgarejo Samantha Berg
Amarilis Muniz Otero Warren Sanders
Emily Parsons Kimberly Squires
Gabriel Runkle Jimmy Hammond
Haley Stokoe Daniel Wood
Yaneli Vasquez Fernando Hernandez
Hugo Velazquez David Woodberry
Mariah Villasana Keina Cook
Max Widacki Blake Jones
Shoemaker High School
Alana Gonzalez Caroline Jackson
Karah Jackson Janna Shelton
DaShwn Johnson Christine Douglass
Emma McKinney Cory Jones
Trezure Middlebrook Michelle Clark
Andrea Munguia Xavier Saulter
Gloribeth Peter Jeff Watson
Daejon Spead Stephen Barrick
Jaelon Spead Philip Crosby
Sierra Woodberry Tiffany Jackson
