La Feria ISD Holds Banquet for Top Ten Percent Students

Updated: May 11, 2023

Emilio Flores
LFN

On Mondy, May 1, La Feria high school held their top ten high school senior banquet. The banquet consisted of the following: a welcoming speech and Introduction of honored guests by the high school principal, Hector Cazares; the Superintendent’s address; the Board President’s address; invocation by Atiana Leyva, FCA President; then dinner and recognition of shining stars and Educational heroes; then the closing remarks by Dr. Yvette Cantu.

Hector Cazares, Principal at La Feria High School

Mr. Hector Cazares, Principal of La Feria High School welcomed everyone to La Feria ISD’s top ten student banquet. Superintendent, Mrs. Cythia Torres congratulates the top ten students saying, “I commend you on your hard work and perseverance that earned you your spot here tonight.”

Mrs. Torres quotes Abraham Lincoln saying, “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.” she continues by saying, “I encourage each of you to live up to that light that each of you have, I am very proud of each and every one of you: Congratulations.”

Talking with Mrs. Torres personally, she shares the Banquet is a special night for the senior students. She says each one of the students receives the opportunity to share their “Educational Hero” and honor them by the student presenting them an award.

Torres says, “Some pick a parent, we had someone pick a bus driver, we had one pick their junior high teacher,” she says students will pick all different people that have just impacted their lives in a positive way and pushed them to be the best they can be. Here are just a few of the speeches.

Galilea Rodriguez, attending Texas Woman’s University, honors Francisco Peña as her Educational hero, saying:
“He greeted me every morning and every afternoon, at 6:45 in the morning and again at 5:00 in the evening. From my day as a Kindergartener to my Sophomore year of high school, he watched me grow up every year that passed by. I remember waiting every morning to get on the school bus, entering those bus doors, taking a seat right behind him waiting to get dropped off at school. One of my fond memories is playing with the stop sign with all my friends, while he just chuckled in the background. It’s one of my core memories with Mr. Peña that I will never forget. Mr. Peña has been a part of my journey since the very beginning, standing right behind me guiding, showing, and sharing every milestone I experienced. He was not only my rock but a boulder unwavering from where he stood taking every moment head-on. An old soul with an unfathomable amount of patience as he dealt with all the rowdy kids in the back of the bus. I want to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation and gratitude for being a part of almost every moment of my life… like a grandfather. Serving as one of the constant reminders to look forward to the beginning of the day and providing me the motivation to keep going after having the hardest of days. I am undeniably blessed to have you a part of my journey as it comes to an end, and when another one begins. Thank you for being my educational HERO!”

Genaro Jaramillo Jr., attending Texas State Technical College, honors Genaro Jaramillo as his Educational Hero, saying:
“I haven’t met many people that I could consider a hero, but there is certainly one person who has impacted my life enough to deserve that title. My father has been with me my entire life so far, and I am grateful for the teachings and lessons that he has taught me. I’ve learned to be determined and persistent with my studies as he is with working multiple jobs and pushing through sleepless nights to provide stability for his family every day. Although he might not have taught me how to write an essay or help me to solve problems in precalculus; he taught me life skills and lessons that will last me a lifetime… lessons that cannot be taught in a class. From the bottom of my heart, I am very grateful for that.”

Valedictorian: Celeste Medrano, attending UTRGV, honors Rogelio Medrano Jr. as her Educational Hero, saying:
“When my mom was pregnant, there were no questions asked about who would support the family. My dad immediately left college and the dreams of his computer science degree in order to financially support the new family they were building. In the years following, he would periodically speak about returning to college, just to abandon the idea every time. Life got in the way, they had another child (me), my mom began her masters program, etc, etc, and the thought of college was once again left behind. He was unable to finish his education, so he sought to encourage mine. Throughout my school years, my father was a constant supporter of my academic endeavors. From the silly, little awards such as perfect attendance ribbons, to the A-Honor roll trophies in junior high, my dad treated each with the same level of honor and merit. In high school, when my schedule became busier, I was able to keep up with it because of his help. Becoming a band booster, agreeing to drive me to countless extracurricular activities, staying up late with me when I was studying or stuck on my homework, each action taken so I wouldn’t drown under the crushing weight of my academics. In every sense, he wanted to see me succeed at every possible turn. My educational hero is my dad, who gave up his education so I could pursue mine, and it is now with great honor that I am able to give him the recognition he deserves.”

Salutatorian: Ashlyn Garza, attending Sam Houston State University, honors Aysiah Garza as her Educational Hero, saying:
“When given the news that we had to choose someone to be our educational hero, one person in my life stood out the most. As my sister, Aysiah has been with me through thick and thin. Whenever I needed help, she was the first to offer her hand and guide me toward the correct path. I owe so much and more to my sister. If not for her, I would not be where I am today. My time at La Feria High School can be summarized as a domino effect. Her encouragement to join certain clubs and stay on top of my grades the minute I stepped on campus as a freshman is what started it all. I could go on for hours about everything she has done for me and what she continues to do to help me succeed. She is much more than an educational hero to me. Words cannot describe how much she means to me and how big of an impact she has made in my life. There is so much more that I wish I could put into words how grateful I am to have you in my life. I love you and I am incredibly lucky to have you as my sister.”