Dec. 8, 2021 - The Comal ISD Board of Trustees recognized 92 students during its regular meeting, Nov. 18. They included nine National Merit Commended Students as well as 83 students identified in the College Board National Recognition Programs based on their performance on the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying exam.
Of the 1.5 million students who take the qualifying exam, some 50,000 with the highest scores qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program. More than two-thirds of those high scorers receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise.
The nine Commended Students from Comal ISD include the following: Colby Kloehr and Breanna Lewis from Canyon High School; Seth Wilmoth from Canyon Lake High School; Preston Fraizer from Davenport High School; and Jaxson Busch, Blake Gomien, Ian Martin, Mason Olivarez and Ava Roat from Smithson Valley High School.
The College Board National Recognition Programs help create pathways to college for underrepresented students by awarding them academic honors and connecting them with universities across the country.
This year, Comal ISD had 12 students recognized in the National African American Program; 68 in the National Hispanic Program; five in the National Hispanic and Indigenous Program; and 85 in the National Rural and Small Town Program.
National African American Program
- Canyon High: Grace Conley, Joshua Conrad, Daniel Hodge, Sierra Richards and Kalea Timberlake
- Canyon Lake High: Lily Wilson
- Memorial Early College High: Francesca Opoku-Amoabeng
- Smithson Valley High: Nebiyu Daniel, Isaiah Fountano, Talisa Jenkins, Samuel Sifuentes Shaffer and Paul Wright Lara
National Hispanic Recognition Program
- Canyon High: Luis Aceves Iniguez, Sierra Astran, Presley Batkins, Sofia Camacho, Jesse Camarillo, Diego Carrera, Serena Davila, Belen Garcia, Elizabeth Garza, Alaina Gomez, Andres Herrera, Alexander Hnatow, David Lock, Elizabeth Medina Gil, Sydney Rosales, Aaron Ruiz, Noah Ruiz, Ayla Silguero, Kalea Timberlake, Alyssa Torres, William Torres, Jackson Villagran, Lauren Williams and Christian Zamora
- Canyon Lake High: Reid Simpson
- Memorial Early College High: Marcus Arreguin, Tlali Engrav and Carlos Hernandez Salazar
- Smithson Valley High: Greyson Anaya, Alyssa Baum, Presley Berry, Jaxson Busch, Matthew Capetillo, Iliana Chavez, Nicolas Chuck, Kaitlyn Fernandez, Leelakay Forga-Power, Isaiah Fountano, Noah Garcia, Lauren Garrett, Sofie Gonzalez, Kayla Graybill-Justiniano, Elizabeth Haegelin, Tatiana Herrera, Isabella Kerr, Brian Killingsworth, Christopher Kuhn-Sosa, Alec Luciano, Phillip Maille, Courtney Medrano, Ariel Melendez, Jaci Mesa, Andre Momcilovic, Mason Olivarez, Saul Orduno, Jake Perez, Allie Quintero, Emma Ramirez, Liliana Reyes, Macey Rodriguez, Michelle Sandoval, Samuel Sifuentes Shaffer, Alexis Torres, Jonah Ulbricht, Bianna Van Pelt, John Vlattas, Aidan Wright and Paul Wright Lara
National Hispanic and Indigenous Recognition Program
- Canyon High: Sofia Camacho and Bryce Howerton
- Smithson Valley High School: Cameron Massie, Jasmyn Schulz and Nathan Shippee
National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program
- Canyon High: Luis Aceves Iniguez, Sierra Astran, Presley Batkins, Elijah Burns, Sofia Camacho, Jesse Camarillo, Diego Carrera, Grace Conley, Joshua Conrad, Serena Davila, Belen Garcia, Elizabeth Garza, Alaina Gomez, Andres Herrera, Alexander Hnatow, Daniel Hodge, Bryce Howerton, David Lock, Elizabeth Medina Gil, Sierra Richards, Sydney Rosales, Aaron Ruiz, Noah Ruiz, Ayla Silguero, Kalea Timberlake, Alyssa Torres, William Torres, Jackson Villagren, Lauren Williams and Christian Zamora
- Canyon Lake High: Reid Simpson and Lily Wilson.
- Memorial Early College High: Francesca Opoku-Amoabeng, Marcus Arreguin, Tlali Engrav and Carlos Hernandez Salazar
- Smithson Valley High School: Greyson Anaya, Alyssa Baum, Presley Berry, Jaxson Busch, Matthew Capetillo, Iliana Chavez, Nicolas Chuck, Nebiyu Daniel, Cole Douglass, Kaitlyn Fernandez, Leelakay Forga-Power, Isaiah Fountano, Noah Garcia, Lauren Garrett, Sofie Gonzalez, Kayla Graybill-Justiniano, Elizabeth Haegelin, Tatiana Herrera, Talisa Jenkins, Isabella Kerr, Brian Killingsworth, Christopher Kuhn-Sosa, Alec Luciano, Campbell Lueck, Philip Maille, Melyna Martinez, Cameron Massie, Ryan McAnelly, Courtney Medrano, Ariel Melendez, Jaci Mesa, Andre Momcilovic, Mason Olivarez, Saul Orduno, Jake Perez, Allie Quintero, Emma Ramirez, Liliana Reyes, Macey Rodriguez, Michelle Sandoval, Jasmyn Schulz, Nathan Shippee, Samuel Sifuentes Shaffer, Alexis Torres, Jonah Ulbricht, Bianna Van Pelt, John Vlattas, Aidan Wright and Paul Wright Lara
-Pictured are students who attended the Nov. 18, Comal ISD Board of Trustees meeting and recognized for their performance on the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying exam.
-Pictured front row from left is Preston Frazier, Mason Olivarez, Jaxson Busch, Colby Kloehr and Breanna Lewis, five of the nine National Merit Commended Students from Comal ISD. Pictured back row from left are Comal ISD Board of Trustees Courtney Biasatti, Cody Mueller, Tim Hennessee, Michelle Ross, Jason York, Russell Garner and Superintendent Andrew Kim.