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BREAKING NEWS

GREAT GRADUATES

College Graduates 2020: Brittanie Rivas

SAN ANTONIO St. Philips College is celebrating the accomplishments of graduate and Army veteran, Brittanie Rivas. Rivas enrolled at the East Side campus as her first step towards helping others. During her time at St. Philips, Rivas accomplished another dream: starting a family. Through the help of professors, Rivas was able to adjust to a new standard to earn her pre-nursing degree from St. Philips College. Army veteran, Brittanie Rivas, enrolled at St. Philips College to pursue a degree focus on helping others.

Clemens High School graduate went from shy kid to all-state choir

SAN ANTONIO Senior Tristino Ali said he used to be super shy, but it was choir that truly broke him out of his shell. I was really shy, like really shy, Ali said. Like someone walked past me... it wouldnt happen.After achieving several awards through honors choir over four years at Clemens High School, Ali said making all-state choir this year was the most rewarding. One of his school counselors, Vicki Williams, said his accomplishments are impressive and she is extremely proud of his hard work. He is just a phenomenal young man.Ali said he just wants to use his music degree to one day be a high school choir teacher.

US Presidential Scholar Award recognizes local student

SAN ANTONIO – Alamo Heights High School continues to celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s graduating class. He’s a member of several organizations including the National Honor Society, Young Engineers and the Alamo Heights Rocketry Club. “They sent out an email telling me that I was nominated for the U.S. Presidential Scholar Award,” Lloyd said. Alamo Heights High School - Great Graduates 2020“I’m going to Duke University next year to the School of Engineering for biomedical engineering,” Lloyd said. Lloyd is one of 161 students in the nation and one of four Texans to receive the U.S. Presidential Scholar Award this year.

Great Graduates 2020: Rachel Kamata

SAN ANTONIO An art contest in the fifth grade helped Rachel Kamata realize she had potential as an artist. There was a Parent Teacher Association art competition, Kamata said. Through the years, Kamata has been able to explore new art mediums like oil panting, clay and block painting. For this piece, it's really talking about my Japanese heritage and my grandparents who live in Japan, Kamata said. Kamata was able to make copies of her print and sent one to her grandparents for Mothers Day.

Great Graduates 2020: Valeria Valle

SAN ANTONIO Valeria Valle is the valedictorian at Jefferson High School and she is very excited about going to the University of Texas at Austin in the fall, where she plans to study biochemistry. Valle is also excited about getting into medical school in the future so, she can become a dermatologist. It was just a career where I think I would be able to excel because it's something I enjoy doing, said Valle. Aside from her community, Valle says she wants to take care of her family, especially her three younger sisters, especially now, after her father passed away. He recently passed away in early March, which was really hard, said Valle.

Great Graduates 2020: Alex Kubon

SAN ANTONIO – Big goals and a positive attitude, that’s how Alex Kubon said he was able to achieve a major milestone that helped him standout to several universities. Kubon is graduating in the top ten of his senior class at NISD’s Communications Arts High School and was accepted to both Trinity University and Purdue University. But I thought you can’t have self-doubt in your head like that when you’re twelve years old and you’re trying to do something,” he said. “I’m going to Purdue University and I’ll be majoring in data science,” he said. With his skills and a future degree from Purdue, thats what Alex hopes to do for an analytics department of a major league baseball team.

Great Graduates 2020: Arlie Briseno

SAN ANTONIO Remember the name Arlie Briseno because one day he could be a world renowned chef. Briseno is a graduating senior at Southside High School senior who was forced to grow up fast as after a terrifying fire. I feel like I can put my passion of food and I want people to see that passion, Briseno said. Great Graduates 2020: Emily HofmannWatching him work in the kitchen and talk about cooking, we could see Briseno loves to create food and loves to make food taste great. I get a thrill, I get my experience, I learn; I live and I learn, Briseno said.

Great Graduates 2020: Jewel Medel

SAN ANTONIO – The class of 2020 is graduating in the face of unique challenges this year and in our Great Graduates series we feature outstanding graduates from across the city. Jewel Medel is the valedictorian at the Young Women’s Leadership Academy. Medel is in the National Honor Society, the Young Poet’ Society, volleyball, basketball and track and field and she’s received a full scholarship to Brown University. I want her to know if I can do it, she can do it.”Michelle Grajeda is an AP and dual credit instructor at SAISD’s Young Women’s Leadership Academy. Grajeda has been Medel’s instructor for four different courses over the past 4 years and also heads the Young Poet’s society.

Great Graduates: Clyde Harvey, Central Catholic High School

Without a previous sign of medical issues, Harvey suffered a stroke at the age of 15. The last three years for the Central Catholic High School senior haven't been easy. "Clyde had a seizure in geometry, and since then, I had worked one-on-one with his mom," said Millicent Marcha, of Central Catholic. After the seizure, the school helped organize a hybrid system so Harvey can still graduate on time with his classmates. After Harvey graduates, he plans to attend college at the University of the Incarnate Word to study osteopathic medicine or pharmaceutical science.