Academic awards honor students

By Chase Rowe,
Bludevilhub.com Staff —

Students, parents and tutors gathered in the Academic Center for the first Academic Center awards of 2015 on Friday, Jan. 16. The monthly event takes place at lunch in L-10.

The Academic Center awards are designed to recognize students for their efforts in improving their attendance and grades rather than those already at the top of their class.

Academic Center Coordinator Marie Michel told award winners that “sometimes you don’t get recognized, or you don’t get valedictorian […] but you’re trying so hard, and we want to recognize you.”

Award winners were nominated by the Center’s UC Davis tutors, who judged students based upon criteria like grades, effort and attendance.

“It’s based on how long they come in–we have to see them working hard and being focused in here,” UCD tutor Hosna Tabatabaifar said. “They have to be organized and they have to be keeping up.”

Each winner was given a $10 gift card, and all winners are given a chance to win a grand prize of a yearbook at the end of the year. The awards are open to all students who use the Academic Center.

The January awards were attended not only by Academic Center tutors and staff, but Davis High faculty members as well. Among the attendees were vice principal Thomas McHale and various teachers of the award winners.

After each student was presented with an award, the meeting wound down with students and their families enjoying the pizza offered for lunch. Tutors and staff went to each group and congratulated the student on their progress.