This morning, Martinsville City Public Schools hosted a breakfast at Chatmoss to recognize seniors who have earned the Superintendent's Award.
To qualify for this honor, seniors must have a GPA of 4.0 or higher. Each student was presented with a cord to wear at graduation to signify their extraordinary academic achievement.
The keynote speaker at this year's Superintendent's Breakfast was MHS alum Clark Givens, son of current school board chair Yvonne Givens and MMS band director Gray Givens. A graduate of the class of 2020, Clark earned his undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech and is currently a graduate student at Radford University.
Clark spoke about his time as a student at MCPS and how the academic rigor of the MHS program prepared him for the challenges of college. He also reminded students about the importance of humility and encouraged them to remain diligent in their academic and career pursuits, even in the face of the independence of college and life outside of high school. "If you want to succeed, you have to do it yourself," he said. "Find your own support system, make friends ... the friends that you choose can become family."
"There is never a reason not to do your best," Clark said. "This is your life. You make your own decisions. Make the most of your experience."
This year's Superintendent's Award students are:
Ryan Connor DiMingo
Paris Rose Fulp
Aleeyah Marie Galloway
Gabriel Lucas Haley
Arlette Jaramillo Mata
Caleb Parke Joyce
Mallori Sherrill Lowe
Adam Idris Mounkaila
Nayti Bhavesh Patel
Elijah Kenley Pickett
Cortay Jovon Price
John David Ratliff, II
Kaylee Angel Rea
Mason Crenshaw Rorrer
Skyler Lee Spence
Christopher Bryant Talley, II
Tyra Makelle Valentine
Whitny Ashton Williams
Destiny Jonet Witcher
Reagan Bailey Wright