When Lake Highlands High School senior Callie Herod was nominated for the Jefferson Scholar program at the beginning of the school year, she was honored. Jefferson Scholars are a group of students at the University of Virginia singled out by the Jefferson Scholar Foundation through a nationwide competition to receive grants to attend the university.
Callie found out yesterday that she was is one of 21 North Texas students selected to advance to the next regional interview round. “I was completely stunned,” she told me. “To make it to this level was beyond my expectations.” From these 21, one student will be selected for the final selection round held on the UVA campus in Charlottesville, Virginia. Thirty scholars are chosen from the United States each year to participate in special educational opportunities at UVA. They receive tuition, books, room, board, and stipends to study abroad.
“I’m honored to be considered among these outstanding students,” Callie said. “I would not be in this position but for the dedication, guidance and concern of my teachers and counselors. There are extraordinary things going on at LHHS because we have a faculty and staff that refuses to yield to mediocrity and the challenges we face in 21st century public education. They give freely of themselves so that we may have a bright future. They are heroes and people need to know it.
Callie, shown here on the far left with members of her Lady Wildcat softball team, is active at LHHS and is a member of National Honor Society and Girls Service League. You may recall reading here about the Art Project she created to raise funds for United Nations refugees around the world.
Best of luck, Callie, in your interview. All of us in LH already see how special you are.
