Trustees recognize excellence in leadership, service, athletics and fine arts

Midlothian ISD trustees recognized students, staff members and programs for outstanding accomplishments in leadership, service, athletics and fine arts during the June Board of Trustees meeting.

Inspiring Excellence in Leadership and Service

National Junior Honor Society students from Dieterich Middle School opened the June meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Texas Pledge, demonstrating leadership and pride in their school and community.

Trustees recognized Heritage High School Class of 2026 graduates London Knight and Landry Knight for earning the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement in Scouting.

For his Eagle Scout project, Landry partnered with CASA of Ellis County to support children entering foster care. He organized and donated 50 care bags, including duffle bags filled with essential hygiene items for older youth and backpacks for younger children containing comfort items such as stuffed animals, coloring books and other thoughtful gifts. His project provided both practical support and encouragement to children experiencing difficult transitions.

London also partnered with CASA of Ellis County for his Eagle Scout project, designing and constructing a Little Library to provide children and families with greater access to books and literacy resources. The project will serve CASA families for years to come while encouraging a lifelong love of reading.

The brothers' projects exemplify the values of Scouting through leadership, service and community impact. This fall, Landry will attend the University of Texas at San Antonio to study cybersecurity, while London will begin his studies at the United States Naval Academy.

Inspiring Excellence in Leadership

Trustees recognized Midlothian ISD bus driver Lynn Hollett for being named the 2025-26 PCAT Bus Driver of the Year.

Trustees also celebrated educators who received Midlothian ISD Education Foundation Innovative Teaching Grants. The grants provide funding for creative and innovative classroom experiences that enhance student learning across the district. This year's grants will support a wide range of projects, including STEM initiatives, outdoor learning environments, translation technology, culinary education, music production, entrepreneurship, science exploration and hands-on learning opportunities for students of all ages.

This year's list of recipients includes:

• Alanna Lewallen, Stephanie Livigni: Emergent Bilingual Students, $1,000
• Carolynn Diekhoff: Exploring the Animal Kingdoms, $1,300
• Casey Gray: Stemscopes Fluency Builder Kit, $432
• Christina Teufel: AquaExplorers: Investigating Texas Groundwater, $647
• Diana Hall, George Bolton: Listening Without Limits: Empowering Learners Through Translation Technology, $2,795
• Hannah Davenport, Chaynie Borum: Mixing for Success: Upgrading Essential Equipment for Culinary Education, $3,879
• Jay James Ross, Clayton Mills, Joshua Eguia, Chandler Webb: The Bobcat Sound Lab, $6,985
• Jenna Wilhoite: From Models to Reality: Bringing Science to Life Through Interactive Systems, $1,614
• Jenny Brown, Melissa Everhart, Karyn Story: STEM, Literature, and Mentorship: Building Strong Foundations for Future Bobcats, $1,182
• Joy Cheshier: JR Irvin Outdoor Learning Area, $7,644
• Kathryn McLemore: Entrepreneur Makerspace: Where Creativity Meets Production, $2,775
• Linda Thurman: Onshape Community Design & Prototyping Project, $2,500
• Megan Lynch, Kara Haley: From Classroom to Clinic, $7,729
• Michelle Wolf: Game On for Everyone, $5,530
• Morgan Stewart, Marla Monreal, Faith Johansson, John Rhodes, Haley Irby, Nichole Ausmus, Jenny Royer: Nature Nook Learning Lab, $8,575
• Nicholes Nunley: Enhancing Ensemble Performance with Personal Tuners for Students, $1,800
• Rebecca Leal: Powering Up: Snap into Science, $1,565
• Shelly Hubbard: Brain Breaks to Brilliance: Early Finisher Power Up, $1,519
• Tami Kremers, Amy Hill, Shaylin Jackson, Amy Brown, Michelle McQueen: Once Upon a Classroom: Bringing Fairy Tales to Life Through Puppets and Play, $1,655

Inspiring Excellence in Athletics

Trustees recognized the Midlothian Heritage High School baseball and softball teams for outstanding postseason success.

The Jaguars baseball team advanced to the regional finals and earned notable playoff victories, including a two-game sweep of Prosper Walnut Grove. Their season concluded in the Elite Eight against the eventual state champion Lovejoy.

The Heritage softball team continued its postseason success by advancing to the regional finals after sweeping Lovejoy in the regional semifinals. The Jaguars finished second in District 15-5A and added regional semifinal champions and regional finalists to an impressive list of accomplishments that includes back-to-back bi-district and area championships.

Inspiring Excellence in Fine Arts

Trustees recognized Midlothian High School choir students who qualified for the UIL 5A State Solo and Ensemble Competition, placing them among the top 2% of approximately 70,000 students who audition statewide.

Trustees also celebrated the success of the Heritage High School theatre program and its production of The Crucible.

Student designers Chris Ray and Rebekah Garcia were named among the Top 16 students in UIL State Theatrical Design in Hair and Makeup Design and Marketing Design, respectively. The program earned multiple nominations for the Betty Lynn Buckley Award, including Best Play. Jonathan Anderson earned a nomination for Best Performer in a Play, while theatre director Luke Craddock was nominated for Outstanding Educator.

The Betty Lynn Buckley Awards, presented by Casa Mañana in Fort Worth, recognize excellence in high school theatre productions and performances throughout North Texas.