Ouachita Parish Schools announced its 2023-24 District Student of the Year winners during a luncheon at ULM’s Bayou Pointe on Thursday.
The Elementary Student of the Year is Emery Powell from Sterlington Elementary. East Ouachita Middle School eighth grader Lillianna Rose was named the Middle School Student of the Year, and Ouachita Parish High School senior Hannah Buckley is the 2023-24 High School Student of the Year for the district. The 3 District winners will now move on to the Zone Competition in December.
"All our students that were recognized today represent an exceptional group of students that have shown outstanding academic achievement, exceptional leadership skills, and are positive leaders within their schools,” said Superintendent Todd Guice. "These students not only demonstrate a deep involvement in their schools, but they are also active participants in many organizations and activities across our community. Their futures are very bright, and I can't wait to see what they accomplish in their lives."
The Elementary school finalists had a tie increasing the finalists from Top 5 to Top 6. The finalists joining Powell were Maya Davis (Boley Elementary), Greyson Canady (Drew Elementary), Jack Guillot (George Welch Elementary), Emma Lea (Highland Elementary) and Claire Grubbs (Kiroli Elementary).
Gracyn Elizabeth Farrar (Calhoun Middle School) and Kaleb Shinabery (Good Hope Middle School) were also finalists on the middle school level.
Emery Powell, Sterlington Elementary
Emery is a 4.0 student who serves as Student Council Secretary and is a part of the Talented Art Program. Emery has participated in a multitude of activities at the school level and received awards including but not limited to the storybook contest, the Prowl-A-Thon, Accelerated Reader Award, Million Word Reader, Top 5 Reader, Student of Good Character, and Highest Class Average in multiple subjects, just to name a few. Emery takes classes at the Strauss Youth Academy of the Arts, plays soccer with NELSA, basketball at EORD Recreational, tumbling and cheer with Trinity Cheer, takes piano lessons, and is a very involved member at North Monroe Baptist Church. She has volunteered and offered her services multiple times with organizations like Grace Place Ministries, Project 2.5, St. Jude’s, Compassion International, and Samaritan’s Purse Organization. Emery’s teachers and community leaders say she is creative, caring, helpful, respectful, kind, and humble, with a sweet, gentle personality. They say she not only reaches her goals but exceeds them. Emery dreams of one day being an adoption lawyer, which stems from her own family's experiences.
Lillianna Rose, East Ouachita Middle School
While attending East Ouachita, Lillianna has maintained her 4.0 average; she is a member of the Student Government Organization, National Junior Honor Society, Beta Club, plays percussion with the EOMS band, where she placed 1st-chair in the District Honor band, captain of the soccer team, and an East Ouachita Cheerleader. Also, while at EOMS she has been on the cross-country team, Robotics team, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, received honorable mention at the state level in the Social Studies Fair, and many years with Ouachita 4-H. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Lillianna has served as counselor and President for the Young Women's Class and participated in several youth service trips, including locations like Washington DC, Baton Rouge, and even Idaho, where Lillianna was born. She has volunteered at Halloween carnivals, Dixie Die-Hards, Girl’s Camps, Mormon Helping Hands, Young Voices of Northeast Louisiana, provided supplies to cat shelters, and many other personal service projects around her community. During Lillianna’s free time, she enjoys babysitting, swimming, and baking. Her teachers and community leaders describe her as being a hard worker, helpful to her peers, disciplined, humble, responsible, and a leader with a caring and giving heart.
Hannah Buckley, Ouachita Parish High School
During Hannah’s 4 years at Ouachita, she has maintained a 4.0 average while taking honors, gifted, dual enrollment, and Advanced Placement courses. She is the chaplain for the National Honor Society, Vice President of SGA, President of the Spanish club, the ACT +30 Club, AP Scholar Award Recipient, National Honor Society, Grid Iron Crew, Fellowship of Christian Students, a participant with the Strauss Youth Academy for the Arts, Love without Borders, Day with Doctors, a State Qualifier for the National History Day competition and a State Qualifier in Robotics. Hannah truly gets to show off her spirit and love for her school as Lucy the Lion, one of Ouachita’s mascots. Throughout Hannah’s teen years, she has volunteered with Rock 106 Christmas toy drive, Cinderella Project, Ouachita Green to beautify OPHS and ULM’s campuses, Med Camps Fall bash, and participating in the food drive with her church, just to name a few. Hannah’s teachers describe her as being extremely intelligent, very creative, having confidence and maturity beyond her years, and possessing exemplary character who chooses the right thing even when it is difficult. She is honest, dedicated, highly motivated, and loyal to her school and family. Hannah's desire is to become a pediatric cardiologist, which is a career that is not only personal but one that she holds close to her “heart” as she was a pediatric heart patient herself.
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