Academic Awards Night Honors Achievement

Tari Owei, Staff Writer

On a breezy, hot evening, Paint Branch held its annual Academic Awards Ceremony in the auditorium. About 100 students attended the ceremony to receive an award or scholarship.  The evening began at 6 PM with the serving of mini wraps, vegan and chicken; cookies; mini cheesecakes; and chips. Senior Madison Parrilla stated that he “really like[d] the food” and found it a highlight of his evening before the event started.  On a breezy, hot evening, Paint Branch held its annual Academic Awards Ceremony in the auditorium. About 100 students attended the ceremony to receive an award or scholarship.  The evening began at 6 PM with the serving of mini wraps, vegan and chicken; cookies; mini cheesecakes; and chips. Senior Madison Parrilla stated that he “really like[d] the food” and found it a highlight of his evening before the event started.

A sense of mystery filled the air, as the invited juniors and seniors did not know what awards they would be receiving. “I don’t know what I’m expecting” was the mind-set of senior Deneil Watson as she rested patiently in the sun. This same thought floated throughout the minds of the attendees and caused fits of nervousness.

At 6:45 PM, the auditorium doors opened to a crowd of students and family members. Students sat in the first four rows as instructed, while the parents and others sat behind them. By 7 PM, Dr. Yarbrough began the event by welcoming everyone and, immediately after her remarks, the awards program began. Both teachers and students received a wide array of awards based on their skills and achievements. The ceremony first presented scholarships ranging from $100 to a whopping $72,000.

Outside organizations presented awards that honored athletic and academic excellence, while other awards included book presentations by different universities such as Harvard and Wellesley. After these awards were bestowed, the school awards came next. Certificates for having a weighted GPA over 4.0 and being a Top Scholar were announced and given out to the deserving students. Next came the “Department Awards for Outstanding Achievement & Progress.” Students who excelled in specific subjects, like English and art, received a golden plaque. Finally, the night ended with the presentation of the special awards including Panther Service Award and the Principal’s Award, which went to two impressive students, Bianca Borda and Corey Whipple, who symbolize Paint Branch High School’s ideals.

After the ceremony, Parrilla felt “excited! I got some cool stuff for things I did. I like the feel of sweet, sweet validation.” Fellow senior Davina Anyanwu thought that “the endless and sleepless nights have finally made sense.”