Coppell High School - Cowboys

CHS Class of 2025 graduates Caroline Ufret and Sohana Singh have been awarded National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarships, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced on July 14. Ufret will use her scholarship to study surgical medicine at Emory University, and Singh will use her scholarship to study electrical engineering at the University of Southern California. These students are among the additional 800 scholarship recipients nationwide who were selected by officials from sponsoring colleges and universities in addition to those students announced in June. 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. CISD has a total of 11 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners from the Class of 2025 — ten from CHS and one from New Tech High @ Coppell.

Rising Coppell High School senior Shreeya Gedda has been awarded the prestigious Congressional Award Gold Medal — the highest honor a youth civilian can earn from the United States Congress. Gedda was recognized during a special three-day ceremony held June 11–13, 2025, in Washington, D.C., where she participated in exclusive events on Capitol Hill and engaged with members of Congress and industry leaders. The award, established in 1979, celebrates American youth who demonstrate initiative, service and personal achievement across four areas: public service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition or exploration. To earn this distinguished recognition, Gedda dedicated over three years and more than 800 hours to fulfilling program goals, including 400 hours of volunteer work, 200 hours of personal development, and 200 hours of physical fitness, along with multiple multi-day expeditions, including a memorable trip to Arctic Alaska. Her service work ranged from supporting local food pantries and city events to global efforts like literacy support for Ukrainian youth. Gedda’s name is now part of the official Congressional Record following a statement by Rep. Bryan Steil (WI-01), permanently cementing her achievement in U.S. history.

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.

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.

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!

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! 💪💙

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.

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

Coppell High School juniors Ashwin Mohan and Sneha Patil have achieved the remarkable accomplishment of earning perfect scores on the March 2025 SAT. Both students, currently juniors, demonstrated exceptional academic excellence and dedication in preparing for this nationally recognized college admissions exam. Their achievement is a proud reflection of their hard work, the support of their families and teachers, and the academic rigor at CHS. #MyHomeIsCISD

Tune into YouTube each week to #CatchupWithHunt as he shares stories from across the district. This week you can catch Dr. Hunt celebrating the recent AP Student Art Show at the Coppell Arts Center with CHS art teachers Brennen Fruge and Michelle Hauske, CHS9 art teacher Elsa Reynolds and CHS sophomore Mahathi Kumar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWn_148pPEQ

The Coppell Cowgirls claimed 1st place overall at the Region 1 6A Championship held April 14–15 at Tangle Ridge Golf Course in Grand Prairie, finishing with a dominant 600-stroke team total. Alicia Bellendir tied for first individually with a 73/71 (144) but narrowly lost in a four-hole playoff. Riya Bapna followed closely with a 74/72 (146), earning third place. Both Bellendir and Bapna secured spots on the All-Region First Team. Nethra Sheri (77/78 – 155), Isabella Nguyen (79/78 – 157), and Elizabeth Bellendir (77/84 – 161) rounded out the strong team performance. The team now looks ahead to the Golf State Championship to be held April 28–29 at White Wing Golf Course in Georgetown.

Let’s raise our voices in celebration for the Coppell Choir, whose harmonious hard work and pitch-perfect passion earned them Sweepstakes honors at UIL with straight 1s from all six judges!.While their stunning performances truly struck a chord, it’s the dedication, growth and ensemble spirit they’ve shown throughout this journey that deserves a standing ovation. Watching these talented singers grow in confidence and musicality, under the leadership of choir directors Bona Coogle, Aaron Coronado and Katherine Conkovich, has been an inspiring experience, and we’re so excited to see where their next verse leads.

Tune into YouTube each week to #CatchupWithHunt as he shares stories from across the district. This week you can catch Dr. Hunt at the Baseball and Softball Party at the Parks event on April 8, where he speaks with Softball player Emma Praytor. The video also features Softball player Lena Gay singing the National Anthem with teammate Riley Warren signing the song in American Sign Language. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH0udXE7RC8

CISD Destination Imagination Teams did remarkably well at the recent state competition against the strongest teams from 16 regions across Texas. Congratulations to: Team: Dumpster Divers Won 5th Place Medal in Secondary Level, Technical Challenge: Breaking Point Qualified for Global Finals held in Kansas City, Missouri, May 22-25, 2025 Team members: Maxwell Hall (CMS East, 8th), Sahana Iyer (New Tech, 10th), Virginia Hall (New Tech, 10th), Naisha Dey (CHS9), Pranamya Shrikant (CHS, 10th) and Rohan Jain (CHS9) Team: Small Eyed Owls Ranked 7th Place in Secondary Level, Scientific Challenge: Worlds Beyond Team members: Macy Rogerson (CHS9), Reid Dodd (New Tech, 9th), Will Crawford (CHS9) and Anna Olougouna (CHS9) Team: Ocean Chicky Exploding Volcanoes Ranked 13th Place in Elementary Level, Technical Challenge: Breaking Point Team members: Claire Midtbo (Wilson, 3rd), Lauren Bond (Wilson, 3rd), Matías Espino (Wilson, 3rd), Joshua Rolón (Wilson, 3rd), Luis Carrasco (Pinkerton, 3rd), Liam Carrasco (Pinkerton, 3rd) and Luca Carrasco (Pinkerton, 3rd)