Students of the Month 2022-2023

National Honor Society member Emily Carranco has attended NBISD since kindergarten. She is a 4 year member of NBHS dance team, including the 2019-2020 Sapphires, Mystics Lieutenant for 2020-2021 and Co-Captain for 2021-2022, and the Monocera drill team for the current school year. She has volunteered over 250 hours with the New Braunfels Food Bank, the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church choir, and as a youth leader for the middle school ministries. During her senior year, she is interning with 8th grade Algebra 1 teacher Mrs. Bryant at Oak Run Middle School, as part of a NBHS program for students interested in pursuing careers in education. She has also been employed as a personal nanny for a family in New Braunfels since August 2021.

Emily plans on attending Texas State University, majoring in education to teach either Algebra 1 or Algebra 2. Her parents are Angelo & Nancy Carranco.
 

Senior Raven Mantooth has attended NBISD since kindergarten. With a 3.8 GPA and projected end of year grade average of 89%, he has currently passed three AP tests and a UT sponsored On-ramps class (with another in-progress), and is attending two Northeast Lakeview College sponsored dual-credit courses. A Varsity bowler for three years, he has participated in multiple photography competitions and created the 2020-2021 ROTC portrait poster. Additionally, for 6 consecutive years, he has worked in an annual construction mission, with the 7th and final trip scheduled for June.

Raven has been accepted to Texas State with a $32,000 academic scholarship, and will major in Marketing with a minor in Photography. His parents are Thomas Sonlitner & Kelli Mantooth.
 

AP Scholar and National Honor Society member Fatima Olmos has attended NBISD since her freshman year. In the top 5% of her class and a Student Council member, she is Co-Vice President of the Spanish club as well as a member of the Math Club and Dinosaur Club. Named to the National Hispanic Recognition Program and the National Society of High School Scholars, Fatima is a Student Ambassador and is involved in the Student Advisory Committee and the Green Cord Program.

A math and ESL tutor, she has also volunteered over 300 hours at the Food Bank, Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church as a youth leader for retreats and the middle school ministry, Día de los Muertos Festival, elementary schools, and ESL district Meetings. 

She plans on attending The University of Texas at Austin or The University of Notre Dame, majoring in Biomedical Engineering to become an Anesthesiologist, with a minor in Spanish. Her parents are Efrain Olmos and Patricia Mendoza.
 

AP Scholar with Honor and National Honors Society member Jovanny Vega has attended NBHS for four years and has been enrolled at NBISD since the 4th grade. He is in the top 5% of class and is a National Hispanic Recognition Award recipient, as well as Co-Vice president of Spanish Club, a member of the
Communities in School/Project Success and the Student Advisory Committee. A frequent volunteer, he has helped with the Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, ESL district meetings and Día de Muertos Contests.

Jovanny placed 1st at the New Braunfels Dia de Muertos Art Contest in 2019, and qualified for State at the Visual Arts Scholastic Event. He also built the first Dia de Muertos altar at NBHS.

Jovanny plans on attending The University of Texas at Austin to major in Textiles and Apparel, with a goal  of becoming a fashion designer. His parents are Angelica Camargo Diaz and Gabriela Ballines.
 

National Honor Society member Lauren Studdard has been a student at NBISD since the 2nd grade. In the top 5% of her class, she received AP Scholar with Distinction from the College Board in her junior year.

Lauren played volleyball during her freshman and sophomore years, and managed the varsity team as a junior and senior. She was also a member of the Academic All-State Elite Team from the Texas High School Coaches Association, and is a Unicorn handler.

As a leader for FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) since her sophomore year, with over 400 hours of community service, Lauren volunteers as a leader for WyldLife (a YoungLife organization for middle schoolers), served at a YoungLife camp last summer, and volunteers with T Bar M Camps and other YoungLife events. She is also a member of Oakwood Church.

Lauren plans to attend the University of Texas to study business. Her parents are Wes and Tina Studdard.

AP Scholar with Honor and National Honors Society member Ethan Keresztes has attended NBHS for four years, and NBISD since kindergarten where he was enrolled in the Dual Language program. A 4-year varsity letterman for the NBHS soccer team, he was appointed captain during his senior year and received second team All-District honors in his junior year. Additionally, he has played club soccer for New Braunfels Ajax for over 10 years, and played for the South Texas Olympic Development team for 2 years.

As a member of the HOSA school organization, Ethan represented NBHS at the Pharmacology competition, and was one of 10 students from Area to advance to the Regional competition. 

Ethan is a NBHS Blue crewmember, works part-time at H-E-B as a cashier, and volunteers at the San Marcos Seventh Day Adventist Church, coaching 20-30 children on the values and fundamentals of soccer. He is also a National Hispanic Recognition Award recipient.

Ethan plans to pass his pharmacy technician certification exam in May. He has been accepted at Texas A&M University, where he will major in biology, minor in business, and play soccer for the Aggie Club Soccer Team.  His long-term goal is to graduate from a medical school with a specialty in dermatology.  His parents are Michael Keresztes & Lourdes Lozano.
 

National Honor Society member Adriene Nicolaysen has been a student at NBISD since kindergarten. She has been involved in theater, Drama Club and One-Act play competition for all four years at NBHS, and with the Christian Youth Theater. As a member of the NBHS choir, Adriene’s achievements include TMEA All-State Choir Competition, Union Acapella group, and Solo and Ensemble. During her freshman and sophomore years, she participated in the NBHS Dance Team as well as Cibolo City Ballet and NB Dance. Her other activities include membership in the Dinosaur Club, Green Cord, her church youth group, and working as a Unicorn Handler.

Adriene plans to attend either Brigham Young University to get a degree in computer science, international relations or music, or New York University for their music program. Her parents are Tracy Nicolaysen and Chris Nicolaysen.

Carter Lewis has attended NBHS for four years and NBISD since kindergarten. His athletic activities include Varsity Basketball and Varsity Baseball, and he was a recipient of a Valero Alamo Bowl Scholarship. Additionally, he is a part of the NBHS Blue Crew.

A member of Oakwood Church, Carter participated in volunteer activities with his teammates and worked as a farm hand during the summer.

Carter’s goal is to attend Texas Lutheran University to study Kinesiology and play basketball for the Bulldogs. He hopes to become a college basketball coach in the future. His parents are Bill and Susan Lewis.
 

Roseline (Rose) Neeley began attending NBHS during the second half of her freshman year. She has been a member of both the marching band and concert band since she started, and has lettered in Band. Academically, Rose is in the top 6% of her class with a 4.0 grade average and is on the A Honor Roll. She has enrolled in nearly every art class that NBHS offers and is a member of the Art Club, as well as the FFA Welding team.

Rose serves as a youth group leader for the New Braunfels Church of Christ and participated at Big Serve, New Braunfels' annual City Wide Volunteer Day. She also assists with the non-profit group Seeds of Love and other local ministries. Previously employed by the City of New Braunfels Parks and Rec Departments, she currently works as an antique art gallery assistant with Lark Mason Associates.

Rose plans to attend either Abilene Christian or Harding University, majoring in Studio Art and minoring in Business, with a goal to graduate debt free. Her dream job would be anything that allows her to be creative. Her parents are Craig and Sherry Neeley.

In the top 10% of his class of 2023, Senior William Waldrip has attended NBHS for four years, is a member of the National Honor Society and the Academic All-District Football Team for 2021-22. He is a 2-year varsity letterman and was named a Texas Football Scholar Athlete of the Week. 

William has participated in the American Legion Texas Boys State, Youth Leadership New Braunfels and the Student Advisory Committee for the high school. An Eagle Scout with the Boys Scouts of America Troop #133, he also serves as an instructor for the National Junior League Cotillion.  He volunteers for Oakwood Church and the Young Life organization.

William’s goal is attending Texas A&M University, majoring in Agri-Business Entrepreneurship. His parents are Dib and Grace Waldrip.
 

Senior Cecily Salas has attended NBHS for four years, and has been a member of the national Honor Society since her junior year. She is the President & Founder of the Art Club and Vice-President of the LEOS club. Cecily has also served as Secretary for the NBHS Student Council.

Cecily recently won Tri-Color Award at the Comal County Fair Art Contest, and 3rd place at the New Braunfels Dia De Los Muertos Art Contest. Additionally, she received the Lions Club International 50 Hours of Service Award.

Cecily hopes to attend Baylor University to study as an Art Major with an English Minor. Her dream job is to work as an Art Illustrator. Her mother is Christina Carranco.

Kenneth McMullen is a senior in his fourth year at NBHS, and is a member of the National Honor Society and New Braunfels Youth Leadership. He is also a member of  the NBHS baseball team, and played basketball during his freshman and sophomore years. Additional activities include Blue Crew and the Debutante program.

Kenneth plans to attend Florida State University to study meteorology or seek an athletic/academic scholarship to continue his baseball career after high school. His parents are  Wendy and Kenneth McMullen.

A senior in her fourth year at NBHS, Bernice Hoang is in the top 5 percent of her class and is a member of the National Honor Society. Her school club involvement includes IL Academics, where she competed in Calculator, Number Sense, and Computer Science - earning 1st Place in Calculator at the 2022 District Meet and leading the team to regionals. She is also Class Historian & Webmaster, a member of Student Council, Art Club Historian (2022-23), and CyberPatriots Vice President.

Other activities include LEOs Club (Treasurer 2022-23) and Math Club, where she acts as math tutor and competed in the MathWorks Modeling Challenge 2022. Bernice also participated in Spring Fling Hallway Decorating in 2021 and 2022, helping to bring to life Ms. Garza’s robotics by programming and assembling Arduino Servo motors.

Outside of School, she virtually tutors international college students in English, and works with student-led non-profits organizations “Magnify Wellness” and “Teens Teach Technology.”  She has also volunteered for the New Braunfels Lions Club and Sts. Peter and Paul Youth Choir. 

Bernice plans on attending either the University of Texas at Austin or University of Washington at  Seattle for a computer science major and psychology minor.  Her dream job is to be a video game developer for a small indie game company. Her parents are Cam Le and Nam Hoang.

Gavin Remo is a senior in his fourth year at NBISD, and has been a member of the National Honor Society since 2021. A member of the Mighty Unicorns Marching Band, he has served as Drum Major since his junior year. He is also Principal Bassoonist for the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio, where he performed at Carnegie Hall, Temple University in Philadelphia, and at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts. Additional performances include the Zachary Series Performance at Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, the YOSA Philharmonic Concert, and Bassoonist for the Wind Quintet performance at the opening of the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. 

Gavin was an Area Qualifier for the Texas Music Educators Association from 2020 to 2022, and was a member of the NBHS Tennis Team for the 2019-20 school year.

James plans to attend college for a yet-to-be-decided major. His parents are Keith and Julie Remo.
 

Jane Briggs is a senior in her fourth year at NBHS, and is a Drama Club Founder and President for 2 years in a row. She has been Stage Manager/Projection Technician for UIL One Act Play, and was awarded the Outstanding Tech Award four times. Jane is a student director with the theater, and played the lead role of Audrey in the NBHS Theater Production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” She has also participated in over 10 Dual Credit and AP classes.

Jane is also heavily involved in the NBHS Choir, serving as Vice President and performing in the Varsity Treble Choir, the Mixed Varsity Choir, the contemporary a cappella group Union, and the Mixed Region Choir. For Solo and Ensemble, she participated in State competition.

A member of the National Honors Society, Jane also works as a Unicorn Handler,  plus volunteers for the Voss Farms Elementary PTA. During COVID, she assisted in a vaccination clinic. She also sings and plays music at her church.

Jane plans on attending Texas A&M and hopes to be accepted into the College of Engineering, and work as a Disney Imagineer or pursue cybersecurity. Her parents are Ray Briggs and Dr. Emily Briggs.

James Archer, a senior in his fourth year at NBISD, is involved in many sports on campus. A member of the football team, James serves as Football Team Captain. Additionally, he is a member of the Basketball Team and Track and Field Team.

James is an active member of the Theater program and serves as the Co-President of the Drama Club. Other activities include taking photos for school sport events and volunteering for the Special Olympics. He is also a member of the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and a Teen Acts Leader at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church.

James plans to potentially pursue an acting career or another fulfilling and active field that matches his energies. His parents are Catherine Archer and Christian Archer.