By Hannah-Grace Leece
April 22, 2024 – Family, friends, and loved ones gathered on the evening of Wednesday, April 18th to recognize and celebrate the sixteen Students of Promise within the Clovis Unified School District (CUSD) for 2024.
The award is given to students who press onward and continue to work hard academically while overcoming tremendous obstacles in their personal lives.
The tradition of honoring these individuals dates back to 2001. Each student is awarded $2,000 for their achievements to be given when they graduate from high school and enroll in a secondary institution. Students were surprised with the news of the award in late January, having been selected without their prior knowledge, nominated by their school counselor and selected by the committee serving for the Foundation of Clovis Schools.
The Foundation of Clovis Schools is an organization dedicated to volunteers who help in providing scholarships and classroom grants to enrich the lives and education of students within the Clovis Unified School District.
CUSD Superintendent Corrine Folmer attested to the student’s many accomplishments, stating “They are living examples of the strength of the human spirit and a reminder of all that can be accomplished through hard work and belief in oneself.”
These students are not run-of-the-mill by any means. They all come from a variety of backgrounds and have many different stories. The award is not only given to the students with the highest GPA nor participating in the largest amount of extra-curricular activities.
Rather, they are students who continue to show their faces every day in the classroom, despite what may be occurring behind the scenes.
The burdensome roadblocks in their path range in image as well. They may include serious illnesses, mental health issues, loss of housing, loss of a loved one, or other life-altering circumstances.
The keynote speaker of the event, Destanie Yarbrough, encouraged the students to view barriers in life as a strengthening tool to become more resilient. She explained that she was a 2007 Student of Promise who went on to become a professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter, women’s tackle football player, and now a Student Relations Liaison at Gateway High. She inspired this year’s students in stating, “The mindset of success, whether it be short-term or long-term success, turns a setback into a comeback.”