HHS Class of 2018 honored

HOPE – The Hope High School Class of 2018 ended its public education journey here Friday night with an admonition and a surprise homecoming.
Honors graduates were announced during the HHS Senior Banquet on Thursday evening, including:
Summa Cum Laude – (4.0 GPA or above) Andria Marie Curtis and Tristen Simone Jones.
Magna Cum Laude – (3.75-3.99 GPA) Elizabeth Gabrielle Bamber and Morgan Alexandria Gray.
Cum Laude – (3.5-3.74 GPA) Vanessa Juana Carballo, Zachary Maxwell Johnson, Quentin Kane Key, Angela Nava, Dora Liliana Ortiz, Kaitlyn Ariana Robinson, and Luis Diego Toscano.
The Class of 2018 accumulated 396 hours of concurrent credit college studies, and qualified for more than $820,000 in scholarship awards, HHS Principal Bill Hoglund announced.
Track and field standout for the 1980 Bobcats Wesley Reko Brown, offered a commencement address that was about as speedy as his state championship time in the mile at the 1980 Arkansas Meet of Champions.
Now a business and political writer for Talk Business & Politics in Little Rock, Brown told the graduating class to maintain “H.O.P.E.”
“Remember to be humble; always be ‘open’; stay ‘proud’ of where you came from; and, ‘enjoy’ life,” Brown said.
Remaining humble will ensure that one makes fewer mistakes in life, he said. And, remaining “open” to the prospects of change and the likelihood of failure helps one learn in life, Brown noted.
He pointed to a track meet race which he was certain he would win; but, instead, because of his overconfidence, he finished last.
“But, failure is not the end of the game,” Brown noted, adding that he went on to win the track championship.
He also reminded the graduating seniors that the uniqueness of Hope, Arkansas, is not in the celebrated names it has produced, or in its world record watermelons.
“It’s not just those things; but it’s the people,” Brown said.
Brown coaches and mentors distance runners, having trained over 50 state high school level champions in Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas, as well as working with Olympic contenders in distance, sprint and hurdle events.
In his role as lead reporter for TBP, Brown has covered Arkansas legislative news, government policy, and state economic news from the Arkansas Capitol. He is one of only three reporters allowed floor access in the Arkansas Senate during regular sessions of the Arkansas General Assembly.
Brown is also a frequent contributing analyst for veteran political writer and correspondent Steve Barnes’ “Arkansas Week” television program.
Graduating senior Ja’brea Conway received a homecoming surprise from her father, LTC Charles W. Conway, Jr., who has been stationed in Afghanistan with the U. S. Army ARNORTH Command.
A brief video of congratulations from her father was played for Ja’brea at the conclusion of the graduating ceremonies and Hoglund called LTC Conway to the stage at Hempstead Hall, where he was welcomed home by his overwhelmed daughter.
The moment electrified the standing room only crowd in Hempstead Hall.
Faculty honors announced Thursday night at the HHS Senior Banquet included:
American Legion Citizenship Award – Nate Carter and Justice Glen
Beryl Henry Award – Andria Curtis
Irma Dean Award – Tristen Jones
James H. Jones Award – Zachary Johnson and Elizabeth Bamber

Annual honors announced Thursday night at the HHS Senior Banquet included:

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Scholarship – Tristen Jones

Civitan Scholarship – Dora Ortiz

Counselor’s Award – Jesus Jair Hernandez-Contreras

Delta Kappa Gamma Scholarship – Nate Carter

Denny Dickinson Scholarship – Shelbie Godwin

Earl Downs Memorial Scholarship – Nate Carter

French Stroughter Scholarship – Karina Hernandez

Gwendolyn Roshelle Smith Scholarship – Tristen Jones

Hope Education Association Scholarship – Nate Carter

Heidi Hoglund Memorial Scholarship – Dora Ortiz

Hope Athletics Booster Club Scholarship – Alan Castro and Andria Curtis

Hope Lions Club Scholarship – Kaitlyn Robinson

Johnson Family Scholarship – Jocelyne Mejia

Kenneth and Patricia Muldrew Scholarship – Tristen Jones

Kiwanis Club Scholarship – Tristen Jones

Jim McKenzie Memorial Scholarship – Andria Curtis

Noble Impact Stephonia Terry Scholarship – Morgan Gray

Yerger Middle School Noble Impact Scholarship – Dora Ortiz

Yerger Rutherford Scholarship – Tristen Jones

Arkansas State University – Beebe Scholarship – Elizabeth Bamber

Arkansas Tech University Scholarship – Cruz Garcia and Kaitlyn Robinson

Henderson State University Scholarship – Vanessa Carballo, Shelbie Godwin, and Zachary Johnson

Ouachita Baptist University Scholarship – Zachary Johnson

Southern Arkansas University Scholarship – Elizabeth Bamber, Me’Ashyia Camal, Andria Curtis, Justice Glen, Shelbie Godwin, Karina Hernandez, Dalton Hulett, and Tristen Jones

Southern Arkansas University Tech Scholarship – Jonathan Garcia

University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana Scholarship – Karen Bello, Me’Ashyia Camal, Alan Castro, Andria Curtis, D’Koby Cheatham, Ja’Brea Conway, Cruz Garcia, Jonathan Garcia, Shelbie Godwin, Morgan Gray, Karina Hernandez, Mykel Horton, Dalton Hulett, Tristen Jones, Quentin Key, Rocio Medina, Jocelyne Mejia, Angela Nava, Dora Ortiz, Kaitlyn Robinson, and Luis Toscano.

University of Central Arkansas Scholarship – Andria Curtis

Arkansas Challenge Scholarship – Elizabeth Bamber, Andria Curtis, Mykel Hornton, Tristen Jones

Arkansas Juvenile Officers Association Scholarship – Zachary Johnson

DAR Good Citizen Award – Elizabeth Bamber

Life Scholars Award – Damariyae Jackson