“I have Felicity in Biology 3, which is an elective class, and she’s also taking some other rigorous science classes as well. In my elective class, I have students with varying levels of interest. Felicity was always interested in everything we talked about, and was able to take the information from the class and then think about how it applies in all sorts of new scenarios. She is a student who picks up things really quickly and connects it to the real world, and that’s rare,” science teacher Paul Hage said. 

“Cindy is loyal to everything that she does. It’s just who she is. I see it every day through the journalism program –– her leadership and willingness to sit right alongside others in our journalism room. Something that’s always impressed me about Cindy is that she is resilient and strong. She has so many beautiful gifts and talents that come naturally to her, but her ability to remain strong sticks out to me the most, and [is] something I’ll always remember. From the moment I met Cindy, it was clear that she was a strong journalist because she is naturally curious about people, and she has a pure intention of wanting to tell other people’s stories. It is such a privilege to have her be in our program, and to have her be the role model that other younger journalists are able to look up to,” journalism adviser Lindsey Katz said.

“It’s been neat to watch [Ja’Hyghness] grow as a player, both individually and as a teammate. She started lacrosse brand new to her as a freshman, and she had a lot of skills that translated from other sports, but it was just neat to see someone go all in and be open-minded to learning some new skills and strategies, and [become] a team player over the years. From an off-the-field perspective, it’s been cool to see her become a lifelong friend to some of her teammates. The bond we’ve developed with her as coaches has just grown every single year, so I appreciate seeing how those relationships have developed,” girls varsity lacrosse coach and math teacher Chris Johnson said.

“Risa is the type of quiet leader who does things without needing to be asked. She takes charge and initiative, and is always organized and assertive in what she’s trying to do. For all of our [National English Honors Society] meetings, she plans mini-lessons. There was one where we were doing African-American History Month, where she came up with a lot of good things for the group to think about and go over. Also, she revived our work with the Early Childhood Center, made all of those contacts on her own and got our work started with them again,” National English Honors Society sponsor and English teacher Andria Benmuvhar said.

“Mya is very dependable. She’s been a vital part of Best Buddies and some of our mentor classes. [She] has been very eager and willing to step in and not only help people with disabilities, but [also] speak up for them to treat them fairly; she’s very patient. She’s just been eager to be a part of all of these kids’ lives. Anybody who wants to be in this program needs to be open-minded, patient, willing to accept people’s differences and be respectful of some inequalities. She does that because she has a family member who has Down syndrome. She has been very loving, tolerant and open-minded towards everybody: neurotypical and neurodiverse,” Best Buddies sponsor and special education teacher Wendy Zieleskiewicz said. 

“Jack has a truly rare gift — he leads simply by being himself. His authenticity makes others feel seen, accepted and empowered to be their best. What makes Jack so deserving of the fraternity award is the way he builds community wherever he goes. Whether he’s on stage, in the classroom, or just walking down the hall, Jack radiates kindness, warmth and inclusion. He’s been through so much, and instead of becoming guarded, he’s become grounded. His compassion is real. His presence lifts people up. Jack doesn’t just belong in a community — he strengthens it. That’s what fraternity is all about, and that’s exactly who Jack is,” theater director Amie Gossett said. 

“I’ve known Dom since he was a sophomore. This is my third year working with him, [and] Dom has always placed a lot of value in helping others: a key element of education. It helps that Dom wants to go into education as a career, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s all the virtue is about. It’s beyond that — no matter what career you’re going into, you’re going to have to educate somebody, whether it’s training or peer mentoring. The core value of education is caring about the other person and helping them. Dom does that to a very high degree,” band director Jacob England said.

“McKinlay is an amazing young lady. I’ve had the privilege of knowing her now in [Longhorn Council] and as a lacrosse member, and she’s one of the most stand-up individuals I know. She’s trustworthy, hard working, dedicated [and] what you want all your students to be like when they hear what a West student is. She’s willing to step up and help out in any event that we have. She’s always actively involved, coming up with ideas and trying to help others with their events. [She’s] an amazing individual,” Longhorn Council sponsor and math teacher Emily Lovercheck said.

“I have [Henry] in my Ac Lab class, and he’s been in the soccer program throughout his high school career. [Over the] past couple [of] years, he’s been on varsity, and this year, he was one of our captains. He is always someone [who] does the right thing. He believes in that so wholeheartedly. Everything he does, whether it’s on the practice field or [the] training field, he is trying to exhibit the perfect role model for everyone around him. He helps people up when they fall. He works as hard as he can, regardless of the score. That shows how important honor is in his life, as well as how important honor should be in the lives of others,” boys varsity soccer coach and Latin teacher Tom Herpel said.

“Sometimes with debate, you think truth is what you’re trying to get to, but the reality is, most kids in debate are trying to win, which often means truth takes a back seat. Will is somebody who would never take a win if it wasn’t based on what was true, and he would tell you that hard and fast. It matters very much to him what the facts are. We can discuss the merits of those facts or the weight of those facts, and that’s why he loves debate. He’s so unique in that way, because most kids, or even adults, don’t see it that way,” speech and debate coach Cara Borgsmiller said.

“Steven has a foundation of right and wrong. He has a quiet but confident way of navigating interpersonal relationships that is both full of his own conviction, but also gentleness, softness and patience with other people. He doesn’t compromise who he is based on the environment that he’s in or the set of people that he’s around. There’s legitimately a goodness that exudes from his personality. I’ve watched him mentor younger students; I’ve watched him just talk with younger students many times [who] are having a difficult time in the classroom, on their sports teams or various clubs. He’s never condescending towards others,” Fellowship of Christian Athletes sponsor and history teacher Kevin Doherty said.

“Adam is very even-keel, very dedicated, very hard-working, just an all-around good guy. He is always cheering on others. Even if he is injured, he is still there 100% for the team, and is doing what he can to support the team — whether it be cheering, helping carry stuff, or just being a strong contributing member to the team. Adam came to cross country amazing, and he just got better from there. He’s just one of those people who stand as a well-balanced, great person — someone that you love having on your team,” boys cross country coach and English ASC Kristin Witt said. 

“Brooke was one of those students last year when I returned to education and was teaching Marketing 2 [who] set the bar in regards to her enthusiasm and passion for the business world. You just know where she wants to go in life, and she has that entrepreneurial spirit. This year, going to watch her group do a presentation of their sales pitch at Spark!, she continues to embody that characteristic well. Right now, I have her in Business Management, which, for her, to be honest, is probably super easy based on everything else she’s already done. I don’t know if she wants to be a role model for younger people in our program [and] our classes, but she is,” business teacher Andy Croley said.

“[Maddy] is one of the leaders of National Honor Society, so clearly, service is important to her. That’s not something that she had to do; she, of her own will, decided to help head the club, and she’s put in a lot of time and effort for that. She’s positive, she’s always got a smile on her face and she has the ability to motivate people to participate in the projects that we’re doing — she makes them attractive,” National Honor Society sponsor and Spanish teacher Francisco Navarro said.