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Eight Class of 2025 seniors from Coppell High School have been awarded National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarships, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced June 4. These students are among more than 2,900 recipients nationwide who were selected by officials from sponsoring colleges and universities. The awards, which range from $500 to $2,000 annually, are renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institutions providing the scholarships. An additional group of recipients will be announced in July, bringing the total number of 2025 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners to more than 3,600. The CHS recipients, along with their intended majors and sponsoring universities, are: Rithvik Sai Alasakani, Health Care – University of Texas at Dallas Raj Pradyun Reddy Gaddam, Computer Science – Purdue University Dwij Mehta, Computer Science – Texas A&M University Justin Murdock, Applied Mathematics – Texas A&M University Annie Reeder, Archaeology – University of Oklahoma Julia Savova, Biomedical Engineering – Texas A&M University Stayton Slaughter, Medicine – University of Missouri – Columbia Yunqi Zhang, Software Engineering – Texas A&M University This year, 146 higher education institutions in 42 states and the District of Columbia are sponsoring awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program. The college-sponsored scholarships are one of three types of awards given by the program, which will ultimately recognize more than 6,930 students in 2025 with scholarships totaling nearly $26 million.

The Coppell ISD Weekly Round-Up is your snapshot of the latest district happenings — from engaged learning in our classrooms to achievements, events, happenings and more. Stay connected each week as we celebrate why there's no place like CISD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvywIR5pLEs

On May 19, CHS rising senior Harshva Vinoth Kumar earned an impressive 3rd place in the State of Texas in the 6A UIL Social Studies competition. His dedication and academic excellence made him a standout among the state’s top competitors. A big thank you to UIL Social Studies coach and teacher Connor Blake for his guidance and support throughout the season.

🔧 Turning Passion Into Profession 🚗💨 For Hogan Maxwell, a New Tech High @ Coppell Class of 2025 grad, success isn't about the traditional route—it's about doing what you love and getting your hands dirty along the way. This fall, Hogan will attend Universal Technical Institute to pursue a career as an automotive and diesel technician—a decision fueled by curiosity, drive, and mentors who believed in his path. 💬 “It became real for me when I worked on my truck… That’s when I knew this was more than a hobby. It was my future.” Through his Business Practicum internship at Sam Pack Ford in Carrollton, Hogan gained real-world experience that solidified his career goals. 🛠️ 📖 Read more about Hogan’s journey: go.coppellisd.com/Maxwell25

Pranav Raju, a rising senior at Coppell High School, was recently honored as one of the 20 Under 20 Global Young Leaders, Class of 2025 by the World Affairs Council of Dallas/ Fort Worth. Recognized at a special event celebrating youth leadership and global engagement, Raju was selected for his outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to making a positive impact on his community and beyond.

Commencement ceremonies on May 23 were filled with pride, joy and plenty of celebration as the Class of 2025 from New Tech High @ Coppell and Coppell High School celebrated their graduation. With dazzling indoor and outdoor fireworks lighting up the ceremonies, these seniors didn’t just graduate —they ignited their futures in spectacular fashion. Class of 2025, we are so proud of you! As a reminder, video of both ceremonies are available at www.coppellisd.com/o/cisd/page/graduation. HS graduation photos by Rachel Chio and Naseeha Masood of The Sidekick student newspaper at CHS, a Career and Technical Education Communications Program of Study.

🌟✨ Celebrating Dedication and Excellence! 🌟✨ During the May 19 Board Meeting, we proudly recognized our outstanding staff members for their incredible years of service. Congratulations to: Danielle "Dani" Todd - 30 Years at Lakeside Elementary Mary Johnson - 30 Years at Mockingbird Elementary Estrella "Star" Primera - 30 Years at Town Center Elementary Alex Zuniga - 35 Years in Facilities and Maintenance Cyndi Hubbard - 35 Years at Mockingbird Elementary Laura Springer - an amazing 40 Years at Coppell High School Thank you all for your unwavering commitment to education and our community. Your dedication inspires us all!

Eight CISD elementary schools are 2024-2025 Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA) Student Leadership Award Recipients. Congratulations to: Canyon Ranch Elementary School Cottonwood Creek Elementary School Denton Creek Elementary School Lakeside Elementary School Mockingbird Elementary School Richard J. Lee Elementary School Valley Ranch Elementary School and Wilson Elementary School This esteemed state recognition celebrates exceptional student leadership groups that have shown remarkable dedication to their school communities through leadership and service. “Student-led initiatives not only enhance the educational experience but are crucial for fostering civic engagement among students,” TEPSA Executive Director Harley Eckhart said. “We are proud to recognize these dynamic groups of young leaders who actively participate in their communities and make a positive difference throughout Texas.” Award recipients will be recognized during TEPSA’s Student Leadership Workshops in the fall.

This week's #CatchupWithHunt is an end of the school year message from Dr. Hunt to the CISD Community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iBXbBQvo6w

As we prepare to celebrate the Class of 2025 on May 23, let’s take a moment to congratulate our outstanding Valedictorians and Salutatorians for their incredible achievements. From Coppell High School, Valedictorian Ashia Argarwal, a former Pinkerton Elementary and CMS West student, will be attending Duke University to study computational science, while Salutatorian Jackson Chen, who attended CMS East, is headed to Rice University to major in Biology. From New Tech High @ Coppell, Valedictorian Eshani Bangalore, who attended Austin Elementary and CMS East, will study finance at SMU, and Salutatorian Sanya Pillai, who attended Cottonwood Creek and Lee Elementaries and CMS West, will pursue Business Administration and Biology at the University of Texas at Austin. Congratulations to each of these remarkable students — and to the entire Class of 2025! We look forward to celebrating your accomplishments at graduation ceremonies.

🎾 Congratulations, Lexie Patton! 🎉 Lexie fought hard and showcased incredible skill at the 6A State Tennis Tournament, earning the State Runner-Up title in Girls Singles! 🥈🔥 From intense rallies to unwavering determination, Lexie gave it her all and made us so proud. Your dedication, sportsmanship, and fierce focus are truly inspiring! 💪💙

Tune into YouTube each week to #CatchupWithHunt as he shares stories from across the district. This week you can catch Dr. Hunt celebrating community service at CMS East with Principal Melissa Arnold and East Student Council President Ellie Evans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewLk7TWDv24&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fout.smore.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY

On May 2, Coppell High School honored a talented group of student-athletes during a Signing Day ceremony. Surrounded by teammates, coaches, and family members, these students officially committed to continue their athletic and academic journeys at the collegiate level. Congratulations to the following signees: Baseball Riley Bishop – University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy Drew Minnick – LeTourneau University Cole Mitchell – Clarendon Junior College Joaquin Oaxaca – Texas Lutheran University Cheer Kristin Price – University of Tennessee Hannah Wells – Abilene Christian University Cross Country Matthew Mirza – University of Dallas Drill Team / Lariettes Emme Lenahan – University of Texas Football Zac Durbin – Ouachita Baptist Andrew Gross – Morehead State Joshua Lock – U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Allan Sorenson – Howard Payne University Jordan Stafford – Morehead State Boys Soccer Lane Ladner – Bethany College (West Virginia) J McGill – Colorado School of Mines Girls Soccer Tatum Hesse – Morningside University Annemarie Olilepo – Midland University Swim & Dive Autumn Ayakawa – SUNY Cortland Dylan Moreno – Ouachita Baptist University Track & Field Lauren Sanchez – St. Edward’s University These signings represent the hard work, dedication, and excellence of CISD's athletic community.

Coppell Track & Field wrapped up an outstanding 2025 season with several athletes earning top 10 finishes at the UIL State Meet. Sophomore Maya Easterwood delivered an impressive performance in the 3200m, clocking in at 10:27.16 to claim 3rd place. Junior Ainsley Bramer earned 4th place in the shot put with a throw of 42-9.5, while senior Braydon Walker secured 9th in the same event with a 52-7.5 mark. In the pole vault, sophomore Mia Schuller vaulted 11-6 to finish 8th. These strong showings highlight Coppell’s depth and promise for the future of the program.

Six Coppell High School Seniors are among the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s Scholarship Winners. Congratulations to: Ashia Agarwal, who plans to study Computational Computer Science Surya Akurati, who plans to study Computer Systems Analysis Joshua Blatt who plans to study Chemical Engineering Yashitha Chunduru, who plans to study Law Sai Priya Kasiraman, who plans to study Computer Science Deepali Kanchanavally, who plans to study Aerospace Engineering The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program and receive a scholarship of $2,500.

n late April, Coppell High School’s World Schools Debate team earned an impressive 3rd place finish at the Tournament of Champions in Lexington, Kentucky — one of the most competitive national tournaments in the country. Under the leadership of Debate Director Dr. Jason Sykes and Debate Coach SunHee Simon, the team of Safiya Azam, Anjana Boppana, Anya Gupta, Justin Murdock and Ananya Nair showcased exceptional skill and determination. Their path to the semifinals included defeating numerous members of the official USA National Team and Team Texas, as well as upsetting the tournament’s top-seeded team in the quarterfinals. Competing against elite debaters from across the country and even international teams like Kenya, Coppell’s students proved they belong among the nation’s best.

Wilson Elementary's 4th Annual Robotics Challenge, led by Gifted and Talented Specialist Carol Koslowski and co-sponsored by the campus robotics club and New Tech High @ Coppell’s robotics team, brought innovation to life on April 26. This year’s theme, “Natural Disaster – Robots to the Rescue,” challenged student teams to solve real-world problems inspired by natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes. Competing in Sphero, Spike Prime, or Dash divisions, teams took on missions grounded in search and rescue scenarios. Top honors of “Best in Show,” based on both interview and game scores, were awarded to: Spike Prime Division — The Marz Carz — Zhongqi Deng, Asher Weisman and Riaan Patel Sphero Division — Dabigbrainbots — Jesus Arroyo, Octavio Banda and Tristan Phor Dash Division — Cheeseballs — Karis Collins, Taylor Hubble and Mateo Quinonez Additional awards celebrated excellence in game performance, creativity, design, coding, and perseverance, highlighting the spirit of innovation and collaboration that defines this exciting event.

Tune into YouTube each week to #CatchupWithHunt as he shares stories from across the district. This week you can catch Dr. Hunt celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week at CMS West with Michele McKnight, Shari Hamam, Holly Millar and Lisa Price. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW43ICTt3BE

Last weekend, talented student artists from CHS9 and CHS made their mark at the 2025 State VASE (Visual Arts Scholastic Event) in San Marcos. These state qualifiers had the opportunity to take part in hands-on art workshops, share their portfolios with colleges, compete for scholarships, and showcase their work alongside the top 10% of more than 32,000 regional entries. CHS9 and CHS students earned 22 State Medals and one Photography Competition Scholarship, proudly highlighting the creativity and passion that define our district. CHS9 State VASE Medalists and Qualifiers Poshika Eswara – 2 State Medals Anika Jain – State Medal Natasha Kumar Olivia Rebello – State Medal Pratyasha Sahoo – State Medal Sahana Sudhir – 2 State Medals Varshini Avula – 2 State Medals Yu Imai – Photography Competition Scholarship Winner Aditri Sikdar – State Medal CHS State VASE Medalists and Qualifiers Safiya Azam Ayan Dadsena – State Medal Neel Hammers – 2 State Medals Sandhya Karthick – State Medal Sahasra Kalakonda – State Medal Iris Liu – State Medal Lidia Nolan – State Medal Sese Oshionebo Sahiti Peechara Nuthana Ramaneedi – 2 State Medals Meghna Ramaswamy – State Medal Ivy Tien – State Medal Agamya Vajramani – State Medal Matteo Zanelli – State Medal

Mockingbird Elementary proudly presented a $1,847 donation to Canine Companions on April 30, thanks to the generous contributions of all its learners and a $500 gift from the Student Council. This heartfelt effort honors Falco, the school’s beloved therapy dog, and his handler, Melissa Kinkeade. Falco brings joy and comfort to MKB students three days a week. He has also supported more than 40 hours of the Reading Buddy program in the library with school librarian Julie Mosty. In addition, Falco works closely with counselor Megan Hay in small groups and one-on-one sessions. Fittingly, the South-Central Training Center for Canine Companions bears the Kinkeade family name, making this donation especially meaningful.