Highland Park ISD recognized the achievements of members of the Class of 2026 on May 21 during the Senior Honors Day celebration.
The district announced Henry Zhu as valedictorian of the 540-student graduating class. Bradley Liang is this year’s salutatorian.
Rounding out the top 10 graduates are Izzy Arnold, Hannah Birdwell, Spencer Haag, Lucas Johnson, Kate McCarty, Mateo Meade, Elsa Meck, and Jacob Neilson.
Boone Bonfield and Cate Young are the winners of the 2026 Blanket Awards, which are given in recognition of outstanding achievement and service to the school. Together, Bonfield and Young had a combined 672 hours of community service and were involved in virtually every type of extracurricular activity offered.
Despite spending an average of almost three hours each school day on extracurricular activities, they still managed to maintain a GPA of at least 4.44, presenters said during the celebration.
Graduates also received over $175,000 in awards from more than 40 donor-endowed scholarships administered by the Highland Park Education Foundation.
Many of the scholarships were created in honor of members of the HPISD community and reflected their values and passions. As the scholarships were awarded, presenters gave insight into the individuals who inspired them.
For example, the Kristin Loyd (Krissi) Holman Scholarship, which this year was given to Charles Brewer, was created to honor a student who passed away in May 2004, just four days before her classmates graduated. She had graduated two weeks earlier in a special ceremony at her home, and was described her as “a compassionate and selfless young woman, whose infectious laughter and joyful spirit are missed by all who had the good fortune to know her.”
The Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence Scholarship, which was given to Grace Lozelle, recognizes a senior who has demonstrated a commitment to caring for and serving others and intends to dedicate their life to having a positive impact on those around them.
Additional awards were given for community service, outstanding performance in subject areas and extracurriculars, and academic achievement.
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