Contact: Kelly Cowan

Mount Pleasant Community Baccalaureate service

The combined Classes of 2024 from Mount Pleasant, Chapel Hill, and Harts Bluff High Schools and homeschooled seniors were honored at the Mount Pleasant Community Baccalaureate Service on Wednesday, May 15, at the Mount Pleasant High School Auditorium. MPHS Valedictorian Sophie Greco offered an opening prayer for the graduates. At the same time, MPISD Superintendent Judd Marshall, CHISD Superintendent Daniel Pritchett, HBISD Superintendent Bobby Rice, and Trinity Baptist Church Pastor Chris Wigley welcomed the guests and congratulated the seniors on their accomplishments.

Dr. Clint Davis, pastor of First Baptist Church, delivered the main message of the evening, telling the graduates to be a light in a dark world.

The graduates each received a Bible from their respective high school principals. Chapel Hill Valedictorian Abbie Harbour prayed a closing prayer of blessing on all the attendees. The program ended with a particular song, “Because You Cared,” by members of the combined MPHS, CHHS, and HBHS choirs. 

 

MPHS UIL Ready Writing competitor wins silver at UIL State Academic meet

Mount Pleasant High School sophomore Brissia Alvarez placed 2nd in Ready Writing at the UIL State Academic Meet on Wednesday, May 15, earning her a UIL State silver medal.

In Ready Writing, competitors are given a choice between two quotes and have two hours to write a 4–7-page essay based on their interpretation of their chosen quote. At the State level, each quote is about a page long, and they asked students to use historical examples, current events, and literature in their essays without using the Internet or reference materials. Not only do their examples have to be factual, but students are also scored on writing stylistically.

Alvarez wrote about the importance of acknowledging the history of our past, which you can override and read between the lines to uncover hidden truths. She compared history to a palimpsest and wrote about the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, the Ottoman Empire, and T. S. Eliot’s poem, “The Waste Land.”

Alvarez will be a junior in the fall and has already begun preparing for 2025. Gabrielle Robbins coaches her.

MPHS senior selected for Texas First Congressional Service Award

Mount Pleasant High School senior Cecilia Phan was presented the Texas First Congressional Service Award from Congressman Nathaniel Moran’s office at the MPHS Academic Blanket awards ceremony on Thursday, May 9, in the MPHS Auditorium. Phan was nominated for the award by members of the MPHS staff.

Jalam Lewis, senior advisor to Congressman Moran, was on hand to present the award. “The dedication of this award honors students who have humbly served to improve other people’s lives and who have demonstrated the potential to become extraordinary members of their school and community through their selfless service,” said Lewis.

“Today, Congressman Moran would like to honor one student from Mount Pleasant who has gone above and beyond to serve their school and community. I am pleased to present the Texas First Congressional Service Award/Excellence in Action to Cecilia Phan.”

Phan is a Mount Pleasant High School Top 10% Honor Graduate. She has served as president of HOSA, a reporter for NTHS, and a social media officer at FBLA. Phan has also been an FCCLA, NHS, and Student Council member. In the fall, she will attend Northeast Texas Community College and pursue a degree in Biomedical Sciences.

 

First annual Trevor Broach Memorial Scholarship awarded to MPHS senior

Mount Pleasant High School awarded the first annual Trevor Broach Memorial Scholarship on Wednesday, May 8, at the Spring Athletic Signing event in Willie Williams Gym. MPISD Athletic Director Joey Cluley read the plaque in front of everyone gathered in the stands. The plaque reads, “Ryder Marshall has been awarded a scholarship for $1,000 in honor of our beloved son, Trevor Broach. This scholarship celebrates Trevor’s enduring legacy by recognizing a senior football player who embodies his character traits of resilience, integrity, and a passion for academic success and football. May Ryder continue to exemplify these qualities as he pursues his dreams. Forever in our hearts, Trevor’s spirit lives on through this scholarship.”

Marshall signed a letter of intent to play football at Austin College in Sherman earlier this year. He is the son of Chad and Candice Marshall.