Nizhónígo Nee Ado’ááł (Have a beautiful day)

Isa is a graduating Senior from Maple Mountain High School. Isa is smart, organized, has great opinions and insights on life, a bit sarcastic, and likes to troll her family and friends by saying outrageous things but secretly laughing about it. She likes to say the opposite of whatever anyone is saying, just for fun. One way that Isa is unique are the ethnicities she was born with. She is Hawaiian and Caucasian on her mom’s side and Mexican and Lumbee Indian from her Dad’s side. It has made her very open to different cultures, races, people, and ideas.

Isa is interested in travel and has been to many places in the US and has traveled to Mexico and Spain. She’s always up for a good movie, especially if it’s intense, suspenseful, or scary. Her favorite movies are Mama Mia 2, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Downton Abbey, Gilmore Girls. In general, she likes to hang out at home with her parents and 5 younger siblings most of all.

Isa likes all kinds of music. She has so many artists she likes that she can’t pick just one! The last three artists she listened to on her phone were Motley Crue, Ariana Grande, and John Legend. Isa played soccer for many years and played soccer her freshman year of High School. That was the year Maple Mountain girls won the state soccer championship.

During her high school career, Isa has excelled academically and has outstanding grades. In high school, Isa’s favorite teacher is Mr. Miner and her favorite class was US Government & Citizenship because he taught it. She liked him because he’s not boring, he cares more about learning than grades, and what you learn there, you can use in real life.

Some of her accomplishments include receiving scholarships to go to USU, SUU, UofU, Dixie, UVU, and a scholarship from the BYU Multicultural office. She also received the Nebo Title 6 scholarship and the Regents Scholarship. She completed the CTE Health Science Pathway. She was the Outstanding Senior Student for Health Science (Sports Medicine). She’s also certified as an EMR. She was selected as the student of the month in English her junior year.

Isa will be attending BYU in the fall. She is planning on serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints next summer.

Congratulations, Isa! You are such a bright and beautiful young lady! You are a shining star in our program, and truly an inspiration to others. We wish you the best in all your future endeavors. 

Chance Atwood is a high school graduate from Payson High. He is from the Cherokee tribe. His friends and family would describe him as fun, athletic, and kind.

In his free time, Chance loves to play sports! His favorite sport is Wrestling. He also enjoys playing football, and played football throughout his high school career. Chance also participated in the band and has played the Trombone for eight years.

Chance's favorite class in high school was Coed Team Sports. His favorite genre of music is Rap/Hip-hop. A favorite quote of his is, "You miss every shot you don’t take." Some of his accomplishments include graduating early, he graduated back in January a whole 4 months before his class, and took second place in State Wrestling.

Chance is a bright young man, who has accomplished so much during his high school career. Congratulations, Chance! You are a great example to others, and you have the qualities necessary to be a successful leader in the future. Good luck in all your future endeavors. The Nebo Title VI program is very proud of you!

Kayden was born in Provo, Utah, and raised in Spanish Fork. He is the second oldest of four children, he has two brothers and one sister. Kayden is Hualapai, from the Pine Spring Band, Honga Clan. He has been involved with Title VI since Kindergarten. Kayden has been dancing grass and hoop for about 10 years. He enjoys playing soccer, he has played on various teams, loves music, and knows how to play the piano, guitar, flute, and drums. In his free time, Kayden is adventurous and enjoys camping, spending time in nature, running, longboarding, and being active in the outdoors. In the future, Kayden would like to attend college at Utah Valley University and wants to go into the Medical Field. Kayden alongside his family has supported and volunteered countless hours into the Nebo Title VI Program. We are so appreciative of you and your service. Congratulations on your upcoming graduation!

Each year, our program holds an Awards Night to celebrate the accomplishments and successes of American Indian students in our school district. This program is intended to highlight students in 6th-11th grade and honor graduating seniors. Administrators, Counselors, Teachers, Parents, and students are invited to be in attendance. This year, we had a wonderful turnout and we are truly grateful for all who took time out of their busy schedules to join us. 

This year, we had the opportunity to hear from three speakers, two of which were Seniors in our school district, and a counselor. Kayden Cruz, a Senior of Maple Mountain gave a wonderful talk about finding balance and positivity amid a global pandemic. Olivia Dial, a Senior at Springville High then gave her talk about she successfully completed high school despite a learning disability. Concluding the program was Antonieta Yazzie, an Intern Counselor at Springville Jr. High, she shared her experience with covid this past year, and how she has found time to slow down and enjoy her family along with having a grateful heart that her father is a covid-survivor. 

Congratulations to all our students for working so hard this year, and being so resilient despite a global pandemic. We are proud of each of you! We are so grateful for the support of our school Administrators, Counselors, Teachers, and Parents. It was a truly inspiring night! We are so grateful for all that came to support these Nebo American Indian students!