At the March meeting of the Midway ISD Board of Trustees, several students and staff were recognized for their outstanding achievements and contributions. From academic accomplishments to service and leadership, these recognitions reflect the dedication and excellence found throughout our district.
Recognitions included:
National Merit Finalists
Midway High School seniors Alastair McGrath and Ty Roenfanz have been named National Merit Finalists, placing them among the top high school scholars in the country. Earning this prestigious recognition is no small feat. McGrath and Roenfanz first qualified as Semifinalists in September, ranking in the top 1 percent of students nationwide based on their PSAT/NMSQT scores.
To advance to Finalist standing, they submitted a comprehensive application highlighting their outstanding academic performance, leadership, community service, and personal achievements, along with a school recommendation
Now, as Finalists, they are in contention for National Merit Scholarships, as well as additional scholarships from universities and corporate sponsors. Scholarship recipients will be announced this spring.
State Swim
Midway High School senior Ben Blalock won both the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events at the Region 3-6A Championships, setting school records in both events and qualifying him for the 2025 UIL 6A State Swimming and Diving Championships held at UT Austin February 21-22.
At the state meet, Ben finished 21st in the 50-yard freestyle and 20th in the 100-yard freestyle. In his career, Ben has earned three district championship titles, securing first place twice in the 50-yard freestyle and once in the 100-yard freestyle and has qualified for the regional championships for three consecutive years.
Ben is coached by Midway HS coach Dan Marlin.
State Culinary Star Contest
Midway High School juniors, Brodie McKenzie, Thien Le, and Nehemiah Horton competed against more than 40 students at Aramark's Statewide Culinary Star competition in Houston, which showcases the best student culinary talent in the state. “The Dream Team” crafted an amazing Southwest-Inspired Burger. The Competition is a culinary event for students that challenges them to create dishes using mystery ingredients. The competition helps students develop their culinary skills and learn about food ingredients and cooking techniques. This culinary team is under the guidance of coaches Cheryl Haines, Chef Logan Moore, and David Wyrick.
State Communications Awards - TSPRA
Each year, the Texas School Public Relations Association honors outstanding contributions to education communications through the statewide Star Awards. In this year’s awards, every single submission from Midway ISD Communications earned a gold rating and four of those also won Best Of Category among all gold-rated entries, indicating the highest quality for published work.
Communications Director Emily Parks, Communications Systems Coordinator Robert Pryor and former Multimedia Specialist Katy Durham were recognized with a Best of Category and Gold Star Award for the top design in the state for the Midway ISD PD police car logo. The team also received both a Best of Category and Gold Star Award for their design work on the district’s annual holiday card.
Emily received a Best of Category and Gold Star Award for her comprehensive written Crisis Communications Plan, which integrates the district’s emergency operations procedures and the new Midway ISD Police Department.
Robert received a Best of Category and Gold Star Award for his original design of the district’s Eclipse 2024 website design, which featured learning resources, information and communication to families.
Notably, Midway ISD had the most Best Of Category wins for any district in Texas with fewer than 15,000 students.
These moments are always a favorite part of our board meetings, as they spotlight the people who make Midway exceptional. Watch the full recognitions segment in this month’s Board video: https://midway.tv/media/midway-isd-1742180626
