Author: Illiana Banuelos

Sania Brown is perhaps the most amazing graduate to ever grace the halls (and online Google Meets) of Morris Sunset East High School! Graduating early as a junior, Sania has garnered a perfect academic and attendance record, while also collecting college credit hours from her phenomenal work in several dual enrollment courses. Sania stands apart as she sets a shining example of what a scholar should be by being conscientious, working hard and constantly seeking improvement. Morris students, staff, administration and teachers all admire Sania’s inquiring mind, friendly smile, genuine personality, tenacious spirit, gracious humility and continual excellence. We all…

Southwest CTA is proud to honor Yusra Shafique as our 2023 Star Grad. Not only is Yusra an exemplary student, boasting a 5.10 GPA, she is a role model and leader amongst her peers. Yusra serves SW Tech as the President of HOSA and a member of NHS, Key Club, We the People, and Speech and Debate. However, Yusra claims that her most meaningful experiences come from her volunteer work at Sunrise Hospital. Yusra has amassed over 360 hours of volunteer experience over the course of her time at SW Tech. Yusra’s hope is to be someone who is able…

Palo Verde High School is pleased to recognize Milani Batiste as our 2023 Star Graduate. Milani is a caring, driven and goal oriented student. She ranks within the top 10% of her class by challenging herself with Honors, Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment courses. She has dedicated 4 years to the Air Force ROTC program where she has achieved the rank of Cadet Colonel. Milani has spent over 200 hours giving back through community service. As a result of her excellent academic record and superior involvement and leadership in ROTC, she was awarded a full-ride scholarship through the J-100 Program…

Tyra has by far excelled at this high school. She has been willing to speak on the announcements everyday with enthusiasm, run STUCO as the current Student Body President, take nearly every AP course taught at this school, speak well of her experiences at VVHS, participate in band, in choir and in CTE. She represented us at girl’s state this past year. She is in the running for Valedictorian and expected to be awarded the honor. She helps others all of the time in class, and she cares about others. She is at nearly every service project in Honor Society…

Mojave High School would like to congratulate C/SFC Sebastian Ruiz, our Star Graduate of the Class of 2023. Sebastian was the first student to introduce himself to administration at freshman orientation, and we have all looked forward to seeing his smiling face everyday since. Sebastian has made his mark on Mojave as a football player, wrestler and four-year member of JROTC in which he has won numerous awards. Despite personal hardships, Sebastian has persevered and become a leader both on and off campus. He represented Mojave at Camp Anytown this past year and brought so much positivity to the Mojave…

Spring Valley High School is proud to recognize Nathaniel Pittman as our 2023 Star Graduate! Nathaniel is a student in the International Baccalaureate magnet program and has succeeded both academically and athletically during his time with us. Throughout the course of high school, Nathaniel has maintained an unweighted 3.8 GPA and is ranked in the top 3% of his graduating class. Nathaniel thrives outside of the classroom as well, as a three sport varsity athlete, competing with our soccer, basketball and track and field teams. In addition to his impressive academic and athletic accomplishments, Nathaniel has volunteered many hours to…

Caitlyn faced adversity at the beginning of the year with the unfortunate and unexpected passing of her mother. She is working through this as she partners with her older brother, who is now her legal guardian, in raising younger siblings. Caitlyn does this while maintaining a 4.695 GPA, serves as an executive board leader in STUCO and works part time. She’s ranked 40th overall in the Class of 2023 at DOHS and is a stand out student that understands what to DO to be true to herself and be a role model for others.

Liberty High School would like to recognize Lexus Cunningham as our 2023 Star Graduate. Lexus was raised in rural Nevada by a loving mother. After her parents divorced, Lexus had no more contact with her father and lived with her mother until her junior year, when her mother passed away from COVID. Lexus had to leave her small hometown midway through her junior year to move to Las Vegas with her older sister, who became her guardian. Despite her personal loss and change in living arrangements including a new town and a new school, Lexus has excelled. She has always…

During high school, Azul Martinez faced one of life’s toughest battles – cancer. Despite the physical and emotional hurdles that came with her diagnosis, Azul refused to let her illness define her. She continued to attend school, maintain passing grades and even participated in extracurricular activities. Azul’s resilience and unwavering determination to succeed, despite the odds stacked against her, is a testament to her strength and character. Today, Azul is cancer-free and is an inspiration to many who face similar challenges. Her story is a reminder that with courage and perseverance, anything is possible.

Jay Rosales, the Star Graduate from Bonanza High School, has been a model for perseverance throughout her academic career. She came to Las Vegas in 7th grade to live with her grandmother in search of better academic options. Despite significant adversity in her younger years, she insisted that getting an education was the most important thing to her. With a passion for athletics, Jay came to Bonanza High School and got involved in basketball, the step team, flag football, track, student council, and she was the team manager for the football team. Jay will be graduating from high school with…