Written by: Tim Schmeckpeper, Assistant Principal The Heart of D’Evelyn is an award intended to recognize students who exemplify values such as honor, integrity, compassion, and kindness. Each quarter, beginning in calendar year 2021, we will acknowledge students who embody the heart of D’Evelyn through their actions. Faculty nominations are solicited on a quarterly basis. A committee, composed of staff and student leaders, selects two overall “winners” each quarter for school-wide recognition; additionally, each nominated student will receive a certificate with a copy of their individual nomination form. It is a great honor and privilege to announce that Maya Walthall and Kylie Williams have been selected by the committee as the inaugural recipients of the Heart of D’Evelyn. Here is what the faculty members who initiated their nomination had to say about these exceptional young ladies: Maya Walthall has worked consistently since her 8th grade year to support diversity and inclusion at D'Evelyn. As president of our Diversity Club/GSA, Maya not only runs weekly support and discussion meetings for the club, but also organized Make Your Voice Heard open mics (gun control, mental health) for our student body and activities for Day Without Hate. She has attended the Cherry Creek Diversity conference yearly since she was a Freshman, and this year Maya joined the Executive Board of The Colorado Diversity Conference (new name for the Cherry Creek conference) and actively participated in the creation of the very conference that has empowered her over the years. Maya also participates in Sources of Strength, maintains her grades, and values education of the whole person: social/emotional and academic. I am nominating Maya for this award because she is a young person who sees the future, works toward it, and wants others--all others, no matter who they are-- to be able to do the same. She is a fine example of a young person well-educated in a well-rounded liberal arts program. Transitioning to a remote school environment compelled the entire D'Evelyn community to seek out new ways of engaging each other. One of the most challenging and vital methods of outreach to our community included making virtual connections through videos, graphics, radio shows, news broadcasts, musical performances, and many more. One individual who was integral to the student body and community as a whole during this process is Kylie Williams. She spends countless hours compiling recordings, data, and information to ultimately produce engaging, hilarious, positive, and kind productions shared with the entire community. Not only do I recognize the efforts she made during the remote period of learning, but she was commended and praised by numerous faculty members including the band director, music director, and many more. Kylie helped keep the D'Evelyn family in touch with one another during a very difficult time. She is the model of devotion to one's community with her confidence, abilities, kindness, sense of humor, and heart. Congratulations Maya and Kylie! Comments are closed.
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April 2023
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