A crop of 70 newly minted Northwest Early College High School graduates crossed the Plaza Theatre stage this evening marking an end to both their high school and early college journey. Many are walking away with not only their high-school diploma, but an associate degree as well.
“Our Class of 2023 have collectively made so many strides toward serving their campus and community during their time at Northwest Early College High school while making great academic achievements as well,” said Principal Frank Clark. “We are proud of the mark they made during their four years as students and are eager to see the mark they individually make as they move forward with their futures.”
The NWECHS Class of 2023 boasts a pool of blossoming talent who have earned prestigious scholarships and are ready to take on the next chapter of their lives. Among those honors are three Questbridge finalists, two Terry Scholars attending the University of Texas at El Paso, one future medical student accepted into the inaugural joint UTEP/Texas Tech Health Science Center El Paso MedFuture program and a Gates Scholarship finalist.
Aitiana Mondragon was selected as the 2023 class valedictorian. She was the recipient of the UTEP Presidential Scholarship which will fund her full tuition at the university as she pursues her degree in computer science.
The evening was an eventful one for Mondragon who was also the recipient of the Golden Agate Award, a prestigious award amongst graduates that honors the graduating senior who has demonstrated top excellence in academics, service, campus involvement and mentorship.
The title of salutatorian went to Jazlyn Rodriguez. The National Hispanic Scholar will be working to earn a degree in bioengineering and biomedicine at the University of North Texas.
Additionally, members of the class will be attending top universities all over the country to include Williams College, Texas A&M, University of Palm Beach Atlantic, Brigham Young University, Texas Tech University, Texas State University, University of New Mexico, the University of Texas at Arlington, Tufts University, and NMSU. Some graduates will be serving in branches of the military.
Other notable graduates of the evening included Elizabeth Williams Olivas who was selected by the staff and graduation committee as the 2023 TALON Award recipient for demonstrating what it means to be a Griffin by excelling academically, serving the community and overcoming tremendous adversity through grit and determination.
This year, the graduating class cumulatively amassed $13 million in scholarships and grants, a figure that doesn’t include El Paso Community College dual-credit or UTEP funding.
The senior class cumulatively performed 6,918 hours of community service.
Congratulations, Griffins’ Class of 2023. Keep on soaring and shining!