Excellence Awards Ceremony

Excellence Awards Ceremony
“Success is never final.
Failure is never fatal.
It is courage that counts.”
~W. Churchill
May 14, 2014
DPS High Schools
DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Fisher Building – 14th Floor
3011 W. Grand Boulevard
Detroit, MI 48202-2710
Jack Martin
Emergency Manager
Phone: (313) 870-3772
Fax: (313) 870-3726
www.detroitk12.org
May 14, 2014
To our extraordinary Detroit Public Schools students, faculty and parents, welcome to the 30th Annual
Excellence Awards Ceremony.
Together, we are creating a strong foundation for our students that will enable sustained progress for
years to come as we work to ensure all students are prepared for 21st Century careers and college.
From personal experience, I know that the only chance many of our children will have to be successful in
life starts with the quality of education that we provide them.
As a proud DPS graduate of Cass Technical High School, I learned early that education and hard work
would get me to where I wanted to be in life. This is exactly what our students here today embody – the
perseverance to excel academically.
As we continue to implement advanced academic and enrichment programs that improve our curriculum
and create a more well-rounded educational experience for students, please know that all of you –
parents, guardians, family members, neighbors, friends and community members – are essential to that
transformation and play a vital role in ensuring future students succeed.
When everyone works as a team, the outcomes are events such as this, where the students here today are
celebrating academic excellence with the personal achievement of maintaining a 3.5 grade point average
or higher throughout their high school careers.
Appreciation is extended to the DPS Foundation for supporting this event, along with our community
and corporate partners who have shown continuous support to our students. Their unwavering dedication
and commitment to the students of Detroit Public Schools is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jack Martin
Emergency Manager
Division of Curriculum and Instruction
Office of the Superintendent of Academics
Karen P. Ridgeway
3011 W. Grand Blvd.
Fisher Building, 14th Floor
Detroit, MI 48202
Phone: 313-873-4493 – Fax: 313-873-7439
Jack Martin
Emergency Manager
May 14, 2014
Shirley Mobley-Woods
Chief of Staff
Dear Honorees, Educators, Family and Friends:
Clara Flowers
Assistant Superintendent
Wilma Taylor-Costen
Assistant Superintendent
Rebeca Luna
Assistant Superintendent
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 30th Annual Detroit Public Schools Excellence
Awards Ceremony. This evening highlights the students who have achieved and maintained academic excellence and the educators, family and friends who have supported
them along the way. Tonight is indeed a joyous occasion and the memorable moment for
our young people and evidence that Detroit Public Schools has a generous share of the
world’s brightest students and dedicated educators.
The two hundred and seventy two exceptional students honored tonight have maintained
an overall 3.5 GPA or higher. This accomplishment is not easy to achieve and is indeed
commendable. In addition, we will recognize students who have maintained all A’s
throughout high school. These honorees recognize that education is the key to a promising
future and have not only excelled academically, but have made a positive impact in their
communities and in their schools.
Bilal Tawwab
Assistant Superintendent
Being a student today is not simple. There are many paths that our children can take and
we know their success is not entirely their own. I acknowledge their educators, families
and all others who have given support, guidance and encouragement. Without you, their
success would not be possible.
Alvin Wood
Assistant Superintendent
I also would like to encourage our graduates to return to the City of Detroit once they have
completed their post-secondary studies and training. Detroit unquestionably needs their
expertise and talents to help rebuild and sustain this beautiful gem – “The Motor City.”
Appreciation is extended to the DPS Foundation for supporting this event, along with our
community and corporate partners who have supported our students during the past five
years. Their unwavering dedication and commitment to the students of Detroit Public
Schools is greatly appreciated.
Let’s enjoy, relish and share the pride our students of excellence are experiencing tonight.
Sincerely
Karen P. Ridgeway
Superintendent of Academics
Detroit Public Schools 30th Annual
Excellence Awards Ceremony
May 14, 2014
The end of the school year signifies a great number of ceremonies, but none is more prestigious than the Annual
Excellence Awards Ceremony for Detroit Public Schools’ seniors with cumulative grade point averages of 3.5 or
better.
The Excellence Awards Ceremony is designed to showcase the top three percent of our graduating seniors.
Virtually all of these students will enter college or another type of post-secondary institution after high school.
Their college choices range from local universities like Wayne State University, Michigan State University, and
the University of Michigan, to historically black colleges and universities like Morehouse and Spelman. More
options include Ivy League Harvard, Yale, West Coast Stanford, University of Southern California, West Point
and other universities throughout the country.
The Excellence Awards Ceremony began in 1985 under the auspices of the then General Superintendent, Dr.
Arthur Jefferson, the Superintendent of Area G, Mr. Joseph Miller, Assistant Superintendents Dr. Herbert Tabor,
Mr. Robert Boyce, and Dr. Charles Remus. The ceremony was conducted in the Westin Hotel-Columbus
Ballroom with 800 persons in attendance, 190 of whom were graduating senior honorees.
The Excellence Awards Ceremony is facilitated by the Office of Guidance and Counseling. Schools and eligible
students have continued to participate in this prestigious program. A total of 9,486 honored students have been
celebrated during this program since 1985.
We remain deeply appreciative to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation and corporate partners for their support.
To our students, we know whatever your career choice may be, you will excel and be successful. Congratulations
to our esteemed graduates!
All “A” Students
CASS TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
LUIS GONZALEZ
ONORIODE IGHOFOSE
CODY MEDICINE AND COMMUNITY
HEALTH ACADEMY
KRISTI TRADER
JANAYSHA HAMILTON
SHARAE FRANKLIN
RENAISSANCE HIGH SCHOOL
AMADOR OLVERA
ASSIATOU JALLOW
CANDICE WRIGHT
WESTERN INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
JOSE GUZMAN
KIMMY NGUYEN
2014 EXCELLENCE AWARDS STUDENTS
CASS TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
ABDURRAHMA ABDI
AMRITA DAS
KAMI HUDGINS
BRIANNA MOORE
ABDUL SUBHAN
ALFREDO AGUIRRE
AALIYA DAVISON
ONORIODE IGHOFOSE
NATHAN MORGAN
DIAMOND THOMAS
AISHA AHMED
AHSHA DAVIS
BRENE INGRAM
TRINAE MURRAY
TAYLER THURMAN
SABBIR AHMED
SAKINAH ECHOLS
TAYLOR INGRAM
ZAHIN NILU
JAH’NAY TIPPINS
TASFIA AHMED
LAUREN ELLIOTT
MARNAY IRVING
MOHAMMED OHID
LARIEL TURNER
OLUBUKOLA AKINTOROYE
SABINA EMERENINI
MAJEDUL ISLAM
AMADOR OLVERA
SHANARRA TURNER
BONI AL-HARUNI
SHARAE FRANKLIN
SYDNEY JACKSON
PHILLIP PARHAM
FABIHA TURSHA
MASUMA ALI
LEA GLENN
MUMTA KADIR
DIAMOND PARKER
ALUMGUR UDDIN
JOWELLE ARCHIBALD
LUIS GONZALEZ
MICHAEL LASTER
KELLY PORTER
KYLAH VAUNADO
ZAHIDUR ARIF
NEKEYA GRAHAM
DIAMOND LEDFORD
ANTONE PRICE
CLARKE WALKER
RICARDO AVALOS
KRISTIAN GRIER
FATIMA LIMA
KENEDI PRICE
KALIL WALTON
NADIUM BARI
ALEXUS GULLEY
DESMOND MADU
SHAKILA RAHMAN
MALAYSIA WELCH
BRIANNA BERRY
JANAYSHA HAMILTON
MARIO MARTINEZ
AFSANA RINKY
KEIRE WELLINGTON
NICOLE BRADLEY
ASHLEY HARRIS
JUANDELL MATHEWS
STEPHANIE ROBINSON
MALAYSHA WHITE
DEWIGHT BRAXTON
KEITH HARRIS
NINA MCDANIEL
DIONNA ROGERS-MULLEN
STERLING WHITE
DAIJAH BRAZIL
REBECCA HENRY
CANDICE MILLER
TIARA SADDLER
JOHNATHAN WHORTON
TORIN CLAY
ALAN HERNANDEZ
NIKOLE MILLER
JESSICA SANCHEZ
TAYLOR WILSON
QI’SHAUN COYLE
STEPHANIE HICKS
ALEXIS MITCHELL
ROY SOTO
CANDICE WRIGHT
CODY DETROIT INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
JANELL JACKSON
CHANEL PATTERSON
CODY MEDICINE AND COMMUNITY HEALTH ACADEMY
MARTEL BECKS
NICOLE CANDELARIO
KRISTI TRADER
CODY ACADEMY OF PUBLIC LEADERSHIP
DONNIQUA ALEXANDER
SAMUEL BRAXTON
DEONTAE HARDNETT
ARZANE NEELY
DEMETRIUS HARRISON
ARIEL MARSHALL
CHARNEKA WHITFIELD
COMMUNICATION & MEDIA ARTS HIGH SCHOOL
CHRISTAL MALONE
DEIJA MORTON
BRIAN PETTY
AUTUMN STEVENSON
DAVIS AEROSPACE @ GOLIGHTLY CAREER & TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
STEVIN COLEMAN
LAUREN DANDRIDGE
KYLIER LOVE
MINA STANSBERRY
DETROIT INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY FOR YOUNG WOMEN
POPY AZIZ
TANIA BEGUM
EMA CHOWDHURY
BREONA MUELLER
TARAYA SMITH
EBONI THOMAS
KHADIJA ULLAH
JANNATAUL URMI
DANAICIA WESLEY
DETROIT COLLEGE PREP @ NORTHWESTERN
JASMINE CONNER
SHANAJA KELLUM
DENZEL WASHINGTON
JASMINE PARKER
2014 EXCELLENCE AWARDS STUDENTS
DETROIT SCHOOL OF ARTS
CESCILY BARNES
ALEXIS BRUCE
BREANNA BUCKNER
A’LEETZIA BURNS
JILLIAN CRAIGHEAD
LAKAILA DALEY
MONAY DAVIS
DAMARIS DOSS
MICHAEL GARDNER
PRECIOUS GRAY
COURTNEY GRIFFIN
ALYSSA HARRIS
TATIANNA HEMPHILL
JADA HENDERSON
SIMONE LANCASTER
KEEANA LANE
ROBERT LYNCH
JAZ’MYNE MOORE
CHAPPELLE MUCKER
BREONNA NORWOOD
SYDNY RIVERS
CHRISTIAN SANDS
SHAYLA SIMPSON
DOUGLASS ACADEMY FOR YOUNG MEN
DARRELL DAVIS
EAST ENGLISH VILLAGE PREPARATORY ACADEMY
D’ANGELO BRAGG
JOSHUA BRYANT
GENESHA BURTON
SHAWNTELL COLEMAN
JOSEPH FRAILEY
CHRISTINE GRIFFIN
CHRISDALYIA HOWARD
TONDALAYAH LANGFORD
ROBERT LEE
DARON MACK
SHAMIAH MENZIE
TERRA PICKETT
CHARLI RUSSELL
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
TIFFANY BROOKINS
LOREAL BURNETT
VIRGINIA FRANKLIN
MOHAMMED ISLAM
DIPTHO SUTRADHAR
TOSKIR UDDIN
OSBORN COLLEGIATE ACADEMY OF MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
QUINCY ANDERSON
EDWARD CUNNINGHAM
AALYSSA FORD
PERRY HAZZARD
LETTIE ANN MILLER
LASHONTE SMITH
OSBORN COLLEGE PREPARATORY ACADEMY
DARIUS HEMPHILL
KEITHETTA HICKS
DOMINQUE JORDAN
JULIA LOR
KENT YANG
OSBORN EVERGREEN ACADEMY OF DESIGN & ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
YEELING LOR
RENAISSANCE HIGH SCHOOL
IMARA BRIGHT-JOHNSON
DOMONIQUE CALDWELL
JAZLYN DIXON
FREDERICK DUKHIE
BRIA ELROD
TIAH GOLDEN
JEREMIAH GRANT
TOMMIE HENDERSON
ASIA HUDSON
ALAN HUNT
ASSIATOU JALLOW
CRYSERICA JETER
BRIA JOHNSON
DASIA JOHNSON
JENNIFER JONES
CHLOE KEENE
KEIRA KING
LONDON LEONARD
MAKIYA LONG
DEION LOVE
SYED MAHDI
ARIANA MCCOWIN
JACQUELINE MILLS
TAYLOR MORGAN
SAMANTHA MURRELL
REMI MURREY
CHALSE OKOROM
SETH PETTY
AHRAYA POLLARD
ARIEL RAGIN
DEZIRAE ROBINSON
KARMEN RUCKER
KENDALL SMITH
RAYMOND SMITH-BYRD
LEAH SPIVEY
WALTER Stevenson
MARQUIS STIRGUS
SHERELLE STREETER
BREANNA SULLIVAN
DOMINIQUE TAYLOR
BRIANNA TORRENCE
LAUREN UDDYBACK
ARIELLE WALLACE
TRISTYN WALTON
DAVON WHEELER
SHANTELL WILLIAMS
BRANDON WILSON
JASMINE WOMACK
JAMES YANCY
2014 EXCELLENCE AWARDS STUDENTS
WESTERN INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
JUAN AGUILAR
DANIEL ALCALA
ADALIA ALVAREZ
MARISOL ANGULO
LORENA AVILA
CYNTHIA BRIONES
ALEXIS CASTELLANOS
JOSE CERVANTES
YOLANDA COLON
BRENDA CRUZ
DEANDRE DAVIDSON
VANESSA DELACRUZ
BARBARA DURAN
ISAAC ELICEA
CECILIA ESQUIVEL
BELICIA FLORES
VIRIDIANA GONZALEZ NAVARRO
ADRIANA GUARDADO
JUAN GUTIERREZ
JOSE GUZMAN
JUSTIN HEARD
BANESA HERNANDEZ
COCHISE JACKSON
TERRELL JOHNSON
MARIELA LOPEZ
JULISSA MADRIGAL
NIA MARTINEZ
YESSENIA MARTINEZ
ESTRELLITA MARTINEZ
DIANE MOLINA
GENARO MURILLO
KIMMY NGUYEN
STEFANNY PEREZ
CARMEN RAMIREZ
GUADALUPE RODRIGUEZ
JOSEPH RUNCO
ALBERTH SANCHEZ
GABRIELLE SANTAVICCA
KIMBERLY SANTIAGO
MANUEL SAUCEDO
DANIEL VALDEZ
HAYLENE VELASQUEZ
VICTORIA WILLIAMS
ASHLEY WILSON
2014 EXCELLENCE AWARDS IMPACT EDUCATORS
JAMIL ABDUN-NOOR
MICHAEL ADAMISIN
SARAH ADDAE
ADAM ALSTER
FUAD AMMARY
CAITLIN ANDERSON
JOHN ANDREWS
NEZETTA ARMSTRONG
SHAREA AYERS
RINA BANERJEE
KIANTA BANKSTON
DENISE BARNES
HELENE BARTON
AMY BEGNENE
MERISSA BENFORD
DENISE BISHOP
GLORIA BLACK
THOMAS BOBOVSKI
ORLANDO BOGINS
WILLIAM BOWLES
CYNTHIA BRIDGES
DAVID BRITTEN
AMANDA BROOKS
BRUNISHA BROOKS
LISA BROOKS
NICOLE BURRELL
PATRICK BUTLER
SOMMER CALDWELLCARRUTHERS
EUGENIA CALUGAR
BARRY CANNON
NICOLE CARTER
APRIL CHAMBERS
DONNA CHAVOUS
EMIL CHESLEREAN
KIRAN CHOPRA
RENEE CIACIUCH
GEORGE COKER
ANTHONY CRAWFORD
FRANCES CURTIS-FIELDS
PAMELA DANIELSNICHOLS
DANA DAVIDSON
ALISE DIAZ
RICHARD DIGGS
DAVID DIXON
ROBERT DONOGHUE
GEORGE DUNCAN
DESHEIL ECHOLS
GREGORY EDWARDS
SHERRY FIORE
UCAL FINNEY
ANGEL M. GARCIA III
NATALIE GARCIA-FOSTER
TIMOTHY GORE
VICKI GREEN
MICHAEL GRIFFIN
MARC HAAS
CHERYL HARDEN
KIMBERLY HARDEN
GEORGE HARDY
SONYA HARLAN
JASON HARRIS
KIMBERLY HARRIS
JAVELLE HAWKINS
SHERISE HEDGESPETH
ANDREW HESTER
ROSEMARY HIGGINS
GIA HOLMES
LESLIE HOLSEY
TITO HUFFMAN
JOSEPH HUNTER
RADU IACOBAN
OKEZIE IROHA
DR. RICHARD T. JAMES
DEBRA JOHNSON
DONALD JOHNSON
ENID JOHNSON
WILLIE JOHNSON
ERICA JONES
MELISSA JONES
JENNIFER KAHLIL
LAUREN KAZIN
JUANEMIA KELLEY
ANDREW KEMP
KAREN KENNINS
KRISTA KING
DENNIS KUE
BELVIN LILES
JENNY MA
PAUL HUDSON MACK
CONNIE MALABED
RONALD MALABED
CAROL MARTIN
KELVIN MARTIN
JOHNATHON MATTHEWS
WILLIE MCALLISTER
MARILYN MCCORMICK
WILLIAM MCLIN
GWENDOLYN MIA
HOLLIE MICK
CLIFF MILLER
LEONARD MILLER
RAKIBA MITCHELL
ANGELA MOFFITT
MYLES MORGAN
BEVERLY MORRISONGREEN
CAROLE MORRISSEAU
JUANITA MOTON
SHANEEL MYLES
JAIME NASSAR
JODI NEAL
AARON NOLAN
PAMELA NORRIS
SGT. GREGORY
O’BRYANT
DAVID ORTEGA– LOPEZ
RICHARD OSTROWSKI
RAMONA PATTON
TRACEY PENICK
GREGORY PETTIGREW
MEGAN PIDGEON
MICHAEL POLONSKI
DIANA PRECIADO
LESLIE PRYPELSKI
RANESA REESE
KATINA RICHARDSON
MARLAND ROBERTS
SHANGALEZA ROBINSON
CHRISTOPHER ROGERS
THOMAS ROULHAC
KAVITA SADWAL
RAYANA SAFAH
DR. CYNTHIA SALHI
SYLVIA A. SANDERS
ELYSE SCHEPANSKY
JANINE SCOTT
MICHELLE SHORTER
JOHN SIMON
CEDRIC SMALL
ANTHONY SMITH
CHARLOTTE SMITH
JENNIFER SMITH
KEVIN SMITH
PAMELA SMITH-MOY
SEAN SMITH
CHICO SORRELL
ONDRE STALEY
COREY STOKES
VERYNDA STROUGHTER
ESTER SUTGREY
LAURALYN TAYLOR
JUANZETTA TOLLIVER
LATONYA TORRENCE
ARTINA TYUS
KATHY UNDERWOOD
BRETT VINCENT
KIWAN WARD
ANTONIO WATTS
KIM WHITE
SAMUEL WHITE
CICELY WILLIAMS
DOROTHEA WILLIAMS
DR. ROBBYN WILLIAMS
SHAR WILLIS
SHAMIKA WOMBLE
JOHN WOOD
ALLAYNE WOODS
VICKI WOODYARD
RENEE ZACHERY
Jack Martin
Emergency Manager
Karen P. Ridgeway
Superintendent of Academics
DETROIT BOARD OF EDUCATION
BOARD MEMBERS
Honorable LaMar Lemmons, At-Large, President
Honorable Jonathon Kinloch, At-Large
Honorable Ida Short, At-Large
Honorable Elena M. Herrada, District 2
Honorable Judy Summers, District 4
Honorable Juvette Hawkins-Williams, District 7
Honorable Herman Davis, At-Large Vice President
Honorable Reverend David Murray, At-Large
Honorable Tawanna Simpson, District 1
Honorable Annie Carter, District 3
Honorable Wanda Redmond, District 6
Shirley Mobley-Woods, Chief of Staff
Rebeca Luna, Assistant Superintendent
High School Principals
Lisa Phillips
Cass Technical High School
Robert Harvey
Detroit School of Arts
Johnathon Matthews
Cody-Academy of Public Leadership
Berry Greer
Douglass Academy for Young Men
Belvin Liles
Cody-Detroit Institute of Technology College Prep High School
Patricia Murray
East English Village Preparatory Academy
Michelle Parker
Cody-Medicine and Community Health Academy
Deborah Jenkins, Ed.D.
King High School
Donya Odum
Communication & Media Arts High School
Senta Ray-Conley
Osborn-College Preparatory Academy
Nina Graves
Davis Aerospace Technological High School
Tanya Bowman
Osborn-Collegiate Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology
Steven Elam
Detroit Collegiate Preparatory High School
Felicia Cook
Osborn-Evergreen Academy of Design
and Alternative Energy
Beverly Hibbler
Detroit International Academy for Young Women
Anita Williams
Renaissance High School
Rodolfo Diaz
Western International High School
Office of Guidance and Counseling
Barbara K. Smith, Ph.D., Director
Nona Harris
Instructional Specialist
Dora Hudson
Program Associate I
Marcia G. Jenkins
Clerical
Special Acknowledgements
A special thank you is extended to school counselors for their team planning efforts to create
Excellence Awards Committees within their schools, inclusive of compact coordinators, college advisors,
other staff and sponsors. You are appreciated for making your event a
cherished and memorable experience.