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May 26, 2017
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VMHS Patriot Engineering advanced three teams to state’s FIRST Technical Challenge In February approximately 50 students from the Veterans Memorial High School Patriot Engineering team placed highly at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Technical Challenge setting a high bar in engineering and robotics. The City of Pharr Innovation and Technology Department, along with PSJA and FIRSTRGV hosted the RGV FIRST Tech Challenge Championship at PSJA Southwest High School. VMHS and MCISD were well represented by students who received numerous awards and recognitions including Championship Win-
VMHS Patriot Engineering
Veterans Memorial High School Graduation
The Veterans Memorial High School graduating class of 2017 will receive their diplomas on June 2, at the McAllen Convention Center. The commencement ceremony will officially begin at 9 a.m. The seniors will enter with the traditional “Pomp and Circumstance.” The VMHS JROTC will do the presentation of colors. Andres Miguel Vasquez will lead everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. Dara San Martin will sing the national anthem. Gabriel Lozoya will provide an invocation, followed by the official welcome by Isaac Aguilera Martinez. VMHS principal, Fidel Garza Jr. will introduce special guests in attendance. There will be three addresses during the program. The first will be by Dr. Ricardo López, superintendent of schools. Kellen Robert Shults will give the salutatory address, followed by the valedictory address by Kimberly Ann Garza. Superintendent Lopez will provide the official certification of graduates, after which, the Mission CISD Board of Trustees will award the diplomas to the members
ning Alliance, Judges Award for presentation, Connect Award for MCISD promotion of FIRST, and two Finalist Alliance awards. The teams were under the gun to succeed because of the late arrival of the robotics materials and 800-piece set, the Patriot Engineering students only had five days to be competition ready. Students designed, built, and programmed robots to compete in the FIRST Technical Challenge. In total, VMHS Patriot Engineering entered eight robots in the FIRST RGV Technical Challenge, by far the highest number of robots from one school. After
just a few weeks of building, redesigning, programming, testing and competing, the Patriot Engineering team was honored with a league championship trophy, a team ranked first in their region, four teams competing in the league championship matches and three teams invited to compete at the state level. The VMHS Patriot Engineering students expressed great appreciation for the support of Mission CISD, Career and Technical Education department, VMHS administration, the VMHS staff who has volunteered their time to chaperone, and all of those who have believed in the success of the teams.
VMHS student accepts QuestBridge College Match College Scholarship Veterans Memorial High School senior, Mirna Rodriguez, was the recipient of a full college scholarship gained through QuestBridge College Match. QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship is a national program that pairs high-achieving, low-income high school seniors with full scholarships to the
nation’s top colleges. Rodriguez is one of 767 in the nation selected to receive a scholarship out of 14,491 applications. Rodriguez was matched with Williams College, one of the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges. It is located in Williamstown Massachusetts. She has accepted a full, four-year scholarship
that covers tuition, room and board, books, and other fees. Since 2003, the QuestBridge College Match has successfully connected over 4,000 students with full scholarships to college partners. These prestigious scholarships are generously provided to recipients, like Rodriguez, by the colleges. QuestBridge’s college part-
ners include top liberal arts colleges such as Amherst, Colby, Pomona, and Williams and research universities such as Brown, Columbia, Duke, Stanford, and Yale. It has also been likened to a “national admissions office” by officials at Vassar. QuestBridge is a national non-profit based in Palo Alto, California.
Fidel Garza
VMHS Principal
of the class of 2017. Alexandra Eve Salinas will provide a benediction. The senior song selection, “My Wish,” by Rascal Flatts, will be performed by Lauren Amber Castillo, Wendy Lizbeth Galvan-Garza, Jose Angel Garcia, Enrique Jesus Gonzalez, Jaqueline Gonzalez, Jacqueline Carolina Lopez, Selene Lopez, Jaqueline Olvera, Angel Esteban Paniagua Zerecero, Analisa Peña, Julian Rivera, Dara San Martin, Olivia Nicole Soto, and Julio Cesar Avila. Marisa Ashley Tijerina will lead the tassel ceremony. The graduates will depart to “War March of the Priests.”
VMHS student Mirna Rodriguez accepts her QuestBridge College Match scholarship accompanied by family, friends, and VMHS staff members.
Veterans Memorial High School Student Council
This years Veterans Memorial High School Student Council was comprised of, President Isaac Martinez, center, and from left, Treasurer Paula Moreno, Maria Diaz Alonso, vice-president for marketing, Parliamentarian Citlali Haro Franco, President Isaac Martinez, Secretary Maia Mendoza, Vice-President Dara San Martin and Historian Anna Vela.
VMHS students earn AP Scholar Awards
VMHS students tops at state Math competition
In March Veterans Memorial High School students Kimberly Garza and Kellen Shults took top state honors in the 5A schools division at the Texas Math Science Coaches Association competition. Garza was the TMSCA state champion in the twelfth-grade Calculator Applications competition and Shults earned fifth place in the 12th grade Math competition.
VMHS students earn National Hispanic Recognition
Two seniors from Veterans Memorial High School were recognized this year by the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program. The program provides national recognition of the exceptional academic achievement of Hispanic high school seniors and identifies them for postsecondary institutions. Kimberly Garza and Isaac Martinez have been recognized as Scholars in the program. Students enter the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) as high school juniors and by identifying themselves as Hispanic. The students must achieve the minimum required PSAT/NMSQT cutoff score, and achieve a cumula-
A dozen Veterans Memorial High School students earned Advanced Placement Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP exams this year. The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous, college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP exams. The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement, based on students’ performance on AP exams.
One student qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average score of at least 4 of all AP exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of the exams. Hector Iglesias, from the Class of 2016, was named a National AP Scholar. Three students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award. This is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 of all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of the exams. The three students are: seniors Isaac Martinez and Kellen Shults, and Hector Iglesias from the Class of 2016.
Three students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award. This is earned by receiving an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of three or higher on four or more of the exams. The three are members of the Class of 2016: Feliciano Escobedo, Hannabeth Medina, Rene Olivarez. Six students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP exams with grades of 3 or higher. They are: Maia Mendoza, junior; Kimberly Garza, senior; Mirna Rodriguez, senior; Andres Vasquez, senior; Tomas Garcia, Class of 2016; Aimee Villarreal, Class of 2016.
Kimberly Garza and Isaac Martinez tive grade point average of 3.0 or higher by the end of their junior year. Each year, the NHRP honors about 5,000 of the highest-scoring students from over 250,000 Hispanic/ Latino juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT).
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Their programs includes the SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT, and the Advanced Placement Program (AP).
VMHS AP Schoar awardees are pictured from right to left are: Isaac Martinez, Maia Mendoza, Mirna Rodriguez, Andres Vasquez, Kimberly Garza, Kellen Shults.