2023 HALL OF HONOR

During the 2023 Cadence of Celebration at DHS four new members were inducted into the DeSoto ISD Hall of Honor.

Established during the 2011-12 year, DeSoto ISD launched the Hall of Honor to recognize two categories of honorees – the DeSoto High School Alumni Hall of Fame and the DeSoto ISD Distinguished Service Award.

The Hall of Honor recognizes and celebrates those who paved the road for student success and those students who have taken flight!

The criteria include special achievements and honors in the individual’s career, community service or contributions to society plus service to education and DeSoto ISD.

DHS CLASS OF 2011

2023 Alumni Hall of Fame

• Digital Influencer for North Texas area awarded by K-104 Radio Local Love Awards for two straight years (2017-2018)

• Graduated Cedar Valley College, Associate Degree in the Arts

• Graduated UNT Dallas with a degree in Communication/Tech

• Reached 102K followers from across the nation on Instagram with his encouraging testimony (and still building)

• Member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity at UNT-Dallas

• Influencer, encouraging people to FIND A WAY, sharing logoed wristband with D L Hughley, Ice Cube, Terrell Owens, Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, Ellis Hobbs, Floyd Mayweather, Donte Whitner, Mack Brown, Errol Spence, Darren Woodson, Wade Philips, Bob Stoops, Deion Sanders, and Tim Brown, to name a few

• Awarded Fresh Start Foundation’s Community Influencer

• Volunteers at Vacation Bible School at Pilgrim Rest Baptist

• Reads to students and speaks at multiple schools

• Completed DeSoto Citizen Police Academy

• Pre-game speaker for two teams, plus University of Texas when at the Cotton Bowl, and the XFL Arlington Renegades.

The permanent display for the Service Award is located in the atrium of the academy wing. The Alumni Award permanent display is located at the Eagle Drive entrance to DeSoto High School.

For 2023, the district inducted one Distinguished Service Award recipient and three recipients for the Alumni Hall of Fame.

DHS CLASS OF 1997

2023 Alumni Hall of Fame

• Ranked 3rd in DHS graduating class; National Honor Society

• Editor of the award-winning school newspaper the EAGLE EYE during her junior and senior years

• Served on the yearbook staff for three years

• Played snare drum in the State-recognized EAGLE BAND

• Research Data Specialist at the California Digital Library

• Director of Alliances and Strategy for the FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER RESEARCH CENTER in Seattle, Washington. This center is the preeminent leader in cancer and infectious disease research – and now clinical cancer care. Their vision is to eliminate cancer and other diseases that cause human suffering and death.

• BA in Marine Science from the University of San Diego (Outstanding Scholarship for Marine Science Dept. in 2001)

• PHD focus in Biological Oceanography from MIT/WHOI National Defense Science and Engineering-Graduate Fellowship (2002-2006)

• National Barry Goldwater Scholarship recipient

• USD Associated Students Research Grant (1999); USD Trustee Scholarship Recipient (1997-2001)

At DHS — 1987-88 Basketball first team All-District; 1989 DeSoto High School SOAR Award; 1988 and 1989 National Honor Society; 1989 All District Choir; 1989 Basketball AllDistrict 11-AAAAA, also Defensive Player of the Year; 1989 First team Academic All-State; 1989 Selected to play in Good Grades Games; 1989 Texas Girls Basketball Coaches Association First Team All-state, played in the All- State Game

• BA from Oklahoma Baptist University; Master’s in education administration from Lamar University

• Secondary Principal & Common Core Certificates 2015

• 2006-2008 Model United Nations event sponsored by the Oklahoma City Memorial

• 2006-2018 Sponsored child in “Compassion International”

• Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration; wrote grant and traveled with the CCOSA to Washington D.C. to meet with senators and representatives to advocate for legislation supporting public education nationwide

• 2014 State Champion 6A Girls Basketball with record 28-0

• 2015 State Champion 6A Girls Basketball 2016 State Semifinals 6A Girls Basketball

• 2018 State runner-up 6A Girls track-assistant coach. 2018 State runner-up 6A Boys track-lay coach

• Assistant Superintendent as well as Interim Superintendent in DeSoto ISD

• Developed the selective enrollment process

• Developed the inaugural dress code policy for the district

• Assisted in the implementation of the iSTEAM, Male Leadership, Medical Magnet, and Fine Arts Magnet programs at the elementary and middle school levels

• Coordinated the district wide implementation of the Positive Behavior Supports System

• Led turnaround campuses

• Development of the ReJuv program aimed at addressing the needs of the overaged middle school population

• Dallas NAACP’s Juanita Craft Award for Education, the highest distinction from the Dallas NAACP

• PTA Lifetime Achievement Award

Who’s Who in Black Dallas

• National Council of Negro Women Community Service Award

• South Dallas Professional and Business Woman’s Trailblazer Award

• University of North Texas Alumni Recognition

• Skyline High School Distinguished Alumni Recognition