OCTOBER 2020

Leilah Burgos

Leilah Burgos is a freshman at John F. Kennedy High School in Denver, CO.  Leilah ended the 8th grade with a 4.0 GPA. Her passion for leading others is evident because of her accomplishment in creating the first Black Student Union (BSU) at Bear Valley International School.  This new organization is providing a positive voice from students and offering unity within the group.  During her first year of high school, she continues to provide input to her middle school as she mentors others on the BSU team. 

SEPTEMBER 2020

Xavior Collazo

Xavior Collazo is a tenth grader with a 3.9GPA at Fountain Fort Carson High School.  As an honor roll student, he enjoys solving complex math problems.  Xavior’s talents include parkour, public speaking, and improv.  After high school, Xavior aspires to join the Army Special Forces.  

AUGUST 2020

Ja'Nia Gray

Ja’Nia Gray is a rising freshman at Grovetown High School in Grovetown, Georgia. She recently moved from Colorado Springs after graduating with honors from Mountain Vista Community School.  Ja’nia’s being recognized as gifted and talented is a great accomplishment.  She has always loved the subject of science and knows that study will carry her far into the future.  Because of her love of animals,  she aspires to be a marine biologist.    

JULY 2020

Yesenia Cruz Garduno

Yesenia Cruz Garduno is a senior with a 3.2GPA at Atlas Preparatory School in Colorado Springs.  After several suicides occurred in Yesenia’s community, she was determined to change the narrative. She worked with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to develop new messaging about mental health and suicide prevention. This project ultimately led her to help create a suicide prevention campaign at her school.  Yesenia plans to attend Pikes Peak Community College, and then transfer to a university.  She aspires to be a police officer.

JUNE 2020

Kaycee Calcote

Kaycee Calcote is a middle schooler at Timberview Middle School in Colorado Springs.   Because of her love of science, Kaycee creates experiments while utilizing mathematical equations.    She placed 1st in a regional science fair in 2019.    In the future, Kaycee hopes to attend a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) focusing on the field of medicine.  Her dream is to assist others by becoming a nurse.

MAY 2020

Amirah Griffin

Amirah Griffin is a 9th grader at Palmer High School in Colorado Springs.  Her love for connecting with people has drawn her to pageantry.  This platform allows her to meet new people and to participate on a big stage.  When she competed in the 2017 Miss High School America pageant, she won a four-year scholarship to Western State University.  Amirah plans to take pre-med classes and then attend medical school to become an OB/GYN.  She aspires to have her own medical practice one day.

APRIL 2020

Georgianna Gennetti

Georgianna Gennitti is a 9th grader with a 3.6 GPA who attends Colorado Early Colleges. Her love of math allows her to  develop problem-solving skills. These skills will serve her well into adulthood and beyond. Georgianna enjoys athletics and participates in flag football, volleyball, and basketball. Georgianna is also a great conversationalist and likes to engage others in discussions. 

MARCH 2020

Joshua Jennings

Joshua Jennings is a 6th grader with a 4.0 GPA who attends Discovery Canyon Campus Middle School in Colorado Springs. Joshua enjoys art because it helps him to express his thoughts through drawing, and math because it challenges his analytical skills. He is currently taking Advanced Compacted Linear Algebra. He has been accepted into the Talented and Gifted program in both math and language arts.  Joshua was also selected to participate in the March 2020 Southwest American Choral Director’s Association Regional Conference in the 5-7 Treble Honor Choir.

FEBRUARY 2020

Nevaeh Richmond

Nevaeh Richmond is an 8th grader at Mountain Vista Community School in Colorado Springs with a 4.0 GPA. She enjoys problem solving, and her favorite subject is Math. She has accomplished passing the Gifted and Talented assessment and is currently taking high school equivalency classes while in Middle School.  After high school, she plans on attending college to become an engineer, forensic scientist or surgeon.

JANUARY 2020

Tyson McKenzie

Tyson McKenzie is a freshman at Harrison High School with a 3.98 GPA.  As a member of the Junior National Honor Society, he has taught himself to code and is a highly acclaimed technologist.  Tyson aspires to attend MIT or another University with a state-of-the-art technology program.  He dreams of double majoring in Computer Science and Cyber Security which will ultimately lead him to become the CEO of his own technology company.

DECEMBER 2019

Max Moreno

Max Moreno is a senior at  Palmer High School in Colorado Springs with a love of reading books and writing poetry.  Max went to Las Vegas in 2018 to compete in a National Poetry Competition.  Max plans to attend college with a major in Sociology and minors in Choral Arts and Theatrical Production.  Max aspires to be a sociologist with a focus on social behavior along with gender roles and the way families interact.  

NOVEMBER 2019

Blair Minnard

Blair Minnard is an 8th grader at Carmel Middle School in Colorado Springs with a 4.0 GPA. She enjoys  science, and the premise that every action has a reaction, which can be said of life itself. Blair is musically inclined and plays tenor and alto saxophone. She has played in concert along with band director, Paul Denardo of Solid Rock Family Life Center.