Brianna Boyd

Editor

 

                While most teachers at Dixon High School educate over 130 teenagers a day, there are always those students who stick out because of their hard work in and outside of the classroom.

                 They are the teenagers who inspire their teachers and peers. These students may struggle in certain subjects but work hard to succeed; face obstacles in school or at home and never give up; volunteer to help others while never expecting recognition; or offer smiles, encouragement and motivation to friends, teachers or others in the community.

                Dixon High teachers gave these students the recognition they deserved Wednesday night during a celebration in the school’s multi-purpose room. Every educator at the school was invited to select one or two students to recognize at the event. The room was packed with teachers, students and proud families. They all enjoyed dessert and punch provided by the school’s Renaissance committee before the teens were called up individually to accept an award from their teacher for their outstanding character.

                “We really want to honor kids who work hard every day to do the right thing,” said Dixon High Vice Principal Stephanie Marquez. “These are kids who have inspired us as educators.”

                The 48 teenagers recognized Wednesday night come from all facets of the school community. They are freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Some are athletes or honors students, and others are teens that normally would not receive recognition.

                “The main goal of this program is to recognize and honor students who have either made a huge improvement in some area or they made a contribution that may be above and beyond what you would expect of a student,” explained Suzanne Galloway, a math teacher at the school and one of several educators on the Renaissance committee. “We want to recognize and honor a wide range of students. We are not only looking for students who are good at sports or academics, we want to honor students who may not receive recognition for what they do.”

                As each student received their award, math teacher Sheila Herd – one of the main organizers of the event – read a brief summary of why their educator believes the teenager is inspiring. Numerous compliments flew through the multi-purpose room. Students were “a pleasure to have”, “a hard worker”, “a creative and helpful student”, “a person who has overcome obstacles”, “upbeat and kind”, and “an outstanding volunteer”.  Students beamed giant smiles as their parents took pictures and applause echoed through the room.

                Most of the teachers were also in attendance, and many sat with their students and their families during the celebration.

                “It was really hard for the teachers to pick one or two students,” Galloway said. “There are so many who are deserving and making progress in different areas.”

                This is the first year the Renaissance committee has been in place on campus, and the group hopes to continue to grow in the coming years.  Only teachers and staff are on the committee today, but teachers hope to bring in students next year. Besides Wednesday’s event, the group hosted a pizza party in January for the over 40 students who were able to take their names off the ineligibility list for improving their grades in the first semester of the school year.

                Dixon High principal Ivan Chaidez said the Renaissance program was established through a partnership with Jostens, the company that provides caps, gowns and diplomas for all graduates.  Chaidez shared he wanted the school to work with Jostens because he can still remember the Renaissance program that was in place when he was a high school student in Salinas.

                “The word Renaissance comes from the Renaissance era, which was a culture of change and learning,” he explained. “That’s what we want to bring to Dixon High. This honors students for improvements and success, and it celebrates teachers, students and their successes, no matter how big or small. We only see this growing.  Next year, people will know about this event. Parents, students, teachers, it will be a part of our culture.”