In a district where hard work and determination are the hallmarks of success, Laredo ISD proudly announces that 37 of its exceptional students have earned prestigious national recognition from the College Board. Representing Cigarroa, Martin, Nixon, and Hector J. Garcia Early College High Schools, this elite group of students have been honored with the National First-Generation Recognition Award (NFGRA) and the National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA) for their outstanding academic achievements, showcasing the talent and dedication that define the future leaders of our community.
These recognitions celebrate students' hard work in high school and highlight their strong academic performance. The academic honors for rural area, Black, Indigenous, and/or Latino students are an opportunity for students to share their strong academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs that are seeking to recruit diverse talent.
Isabella Mendoza, a National Hispanic Recognition Award recipient and Junior at GECHS, expressed her excitement, saying, “I am extremely thrilled to be nominated and receive this award because I know all the hardships my family has gone through to provide me, and my generation, more opportunities than ever. I am very appreciative and I know my ancestors are seeing me striving to achieve greater things, something they couldn’t. This College Board recognition gives me so many opportunities to showcase my heritage and who I am now as a person. I am extremely grateful and of course all glory to God. I am indeed blessed.”
Mendoza has always had the ambition to serve others, which has led her to focus all her efforts on her future career as a lawyer specializing in criminal law. She aspires to attend the law program at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, where she plans to obtain a degree in criminal justice. Her ultimate dream is to work her way up as an assistant in a law firm and eventually open her own in Laredo, where she hopes to be the change she wishes to see. Confident in her capabilities, she is determined to pursue this path and make a difference.
Students who earned College Board Recognition from Cigarroa High School include the following:
Miriam Bahena, NFGRA, NHRA
Gael Esquivel (CHS/Sabas Perez ECHS), NFGRA, NHRA
Jedidiah Fipps (CHS/VMT), NFGRA
Kevin Frayde (CHS/PTECH), NFGRA, NHRA
David Gonzalez (CHS/Sabas Perez ECHS), NFGRA. NHRA
Christopher Jasso (CHS/Sabas Perez ECHS), NHRA
Kevyn Palomares, NFGRA, NHRA
Aiden Rodriguez Carrero, NHRA
Students who earned College Board Recognition from Garcia Early College High School include the following:
Alessandra Barberena, NFGRA, NHRA
Caleb Benavides, NHRA
Jaqueline Ciriaco, NFGRA, NHRA
Richard Deschampe, NFGRA
Amador Flores, III, NHRA
Mikayla Flores, NHRA
Miranda Galvan, NHR
Giorgy Guzman, NFGRA, NHRA
Melina Hernandez, NFGRA, NHRA
Isabella Mendoza, NHRA
Gina Montoya, NFGRA, NHRA
Yullet Parra, NFGRA, NHRA
Isabella Mendoza, NHRA
Marcos Rodriguez, NHRA
Zachary Smith, NHRA
Jasmine Vasquez, NFGRA, NHRA
Students who earned College Board Recognition from Martin High School include the following:
Gabriel Benavides (MHS/Cantu ECHS), NHRA
Keyla Deleon (MHS/Sabas Perez ECHS), NFGRA, NHRA
Natalie Gonzalez (MHS/Cantu ECHS), NFGRA
Jesus Martinez, NFGRA, NHRA
Briana Morales (MHS/Sabas Perez ECHS), NFGRA, NHRA
Students who earned College Board Recognition from Nixon High School include the following:
Vanessa Alba (NHS/VMT), NFGRA, NHRA
Veronica Cadena (NHS/VMT), NFGRA
Sayuri Garcia (NHS/BIPS), NHRA
Maya Lopez (NHS/VMT), NHRA
Diego Marines (NHS/Sabas Perez ECHS), NFGRA, NHRA
Mathew Ramon (NHS/BIPS), NIRA, NHRA
Zoe Sifuentes (NHS/BIPS), NFGRA
The criteria for eligible students include: GPA of 3.5 or higher, PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 assessment scores that are within the top 10% of assessment takers in each state for each award program or earned a score of 3 or higher on 2 or more AP Exams in 9th and 10th grade, and attend school in a rural area or small town, or identify as African American/Black, Hispanic American/Latino, or Indigenous/Native.
Jedidiah Fipps, a Senior at Cigarroa High School and a multiple-time recipient of this prestigious recognition, shared his pride in achieving this honor once again. “I feel very proud to announce this fact to my family and peers as they have always encouraged me to put myself out there. These kinds of awards bring into light how coming from the bottom, or a place of what you might call comfort, really brings a lot of opportunity to you. To me, it really shows me how through LISD, and God, I am able now to approach new opportunities with college, state and country bound, because of these certifications.”
Fipps has enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and hopes to become a member of the U.S. Marine Band. After high school, he dreams of gaining the experience necessary to travel and further his education in music. Since being exposed to music, he has realized the profound impact it has on people. Inspired by Larry the Cucumber, a character in the children's hit show VeggieTales, Fipps believes that music is a language—one that allows him to learn, create, and communicate with others. Fipps also plans to attend Texas State University to pursue a degree in music education.
Eligible students are invited to apply on BigFuture during their sophomore or junior year and are awarded at the start of the next school year in time to share their achievements in high school as they plan for the future. At the same time, colleges and organizations using College Board’s Student Search Service™ can connect directly with awardees during the recruitment process.
"Laredo ISD takes immense pride in the commitment and aspirations of our students towards a promising future. We extend our gratitude to the College Board for acknowledging the diligence of our students. Over the duration of this recognition initiative, we've witnessed a consistent rise in the number of qualified students. This serves as a testament to their dedication in excelling in college preparatory assessments, upholding stellar academic records, and consistently pursuing avenues to become influential leaders within our community and beyond. We eagerly anticipate their forthcoming achievements and triumphs," Cindy Dominguez, LISD Director of Guidance and Counseling/At-Risk Population said.
