As the district’s seniors spend their last month of high school taking part in send-offs, ceremonies, and other festivities, the excitement continued at the 4.0 Student Recognition Ceremony on May 14. Ambitious and bright students were honored for their impressive academic feats during this special night at the AV Fairgrounds, and many had the opportunity to receive incredible scholarships.

The ceremony’s participants were recognized for their achievement in maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout their high school careers. 794 students from all the high schools in the district were represented along with seniors from Palmdale Aerospace Academy and Desert Christian High School. 

Eastside’s Mariachi Los Leones opened the ceremony followed by Highland’s Choir and ROTC to perform the National Anthem and present colors. It was a full house as family and loved ones lined the walls with phones in their hands for photos of their students walking across the stage, ready to cheer on their seniors.

Dr. Jennifer Slater-Sanchez, David Rivas, and Dr. Katherine Taylor called students up to the stage to accept their recognition, where they were congratulated by distinguished community and district leaders. At the end of the night, Board President Carla Corona and Board Member Charles Hughes announced the ceremony participants that were selected to receive scholarships through a raffle. 

41 students received scholarships, with the majority of prizes ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. Two lucky students were each awarded with a $10,000 scholarship. The highest amount of the night was won by Senior Andrew Lopez from Littlerock High School, earning him a $15,000 award to put towards school. 

A heartfelt thank you to Congressman George Whitesides, State Senator Suzette Martinez-Valladares, State Assemblymen Tom Lackey and Juan Carrillo, LA County Board of Supervisors Kathryn Barger, and all the generous scholarship contributors for their support! We are filled with gratitude to see the success of our valley’s seniors be encouraged and rewarded by the greater community.

Congratulations to the Class of 2025! We are very proud of your incredible accomplishments, and we cannot wait to see what the future has in store for you after graduation!