On March 28, Brazosport ISD hosted its third annual Scholar Banquet, where more than 70 high-achieving students were acknowledged for their academic achievements. The students who were invited to the banquet had successfully earned 18 or more college credit hours prior to the start of this school year, or were identified as an AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Honor, with Distinction, or a National AP Scholar by the College Board. Additionally, students who received a letter of commendation or were identified as a semi-finalist or finalist for the National Merit Scholar program were also invited.
BISD Superintendent along with members of our Board of Trustees were present to congratulate Brazosport ISD students for their achievements during the evening. Brazoswood Rocket Engineering teacher and the State of Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year, Chris McLeod, served as the keynote speaker and provided a humorous yet insightful speech with advice for the young scholars:
- You can be right, but still not be effective. How you say a thing matters as much as what you say. People may not always remember your words, but they will remember how you make them feel. If your goal in conversation is to “win”, you aren’t doing it right.
- There are four things to balance in life: your budget, your diet, your time, and your relationships. Be sure to make time to cook a meal now and then. Take a walk now and then. Learn to save money now so the habit is formed when you have more. Call your grandma and ask about her day.
- As the recent poet T Swift says, “It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me.” Many of your largest battles will be internal. Take care of yourself. You are high achieving on this campus. You are busy. You will be in roles of leadership and high stress someday, and college will not be a simple go-kart ride. So be honest when you need to step away from people, or when you need to talk to someone. There is no shame in seeking help.
Mr. McLeod teaches 10th-12th grade rocket engineering at Brazoswood. During his 11-year career in education, he has taught physics, chemistry, engineering, and a host of other science courses as well as student council and teen leadership. McLeod’s classroom is a place of collaboration and “organized chaos” as groups dive into research, design, and fabrication, with teams, routinely meeting with local industrial and manufacturing businesses as they develop their rockets. His students have hosted design reviews with professionals from Blue Origin, SpaceX, NASA, Dow, BASF, and many other companies. His teams have consistently earned praise for their research and design of high-power hybrid rockets and are often in communication with university rocketry teams.
This past school year, Mr. McLeod’s Rocketry 3 class designed, built, and launched a world record-setting high school hybrid rocket that traveled 45,482 feet at the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico, a United States Army military testing area. McLeod earned his BS in Marine Science from Texas A&M University. He currently serves on a safety review board for the Spaceport America Cup - an international university rocket competition.
After Mr. McLeod’s words of wisdom, students were acknowledged for certain academic achievements and were presented with a Certificate of Merit and a BISD Scholar pin by Superintendent Danny Massey and the BISD Board of Trustees. Each student also had the opportunity to address the guests and thank the teacher and/or teachers who had made a significant impact on their school endeavors.
“Hearing from the students firsthand on the influence that their teachers had in their education was very impactful,” said Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Bran Cole. “The student scholars acknowledged teachers from elementary school through their high school teachers. Educators not only teach our children, but they also make real and lasting connections that will continue to impact the lives of their students in the future.”
These BISD Scholars have chosen to take the rigorous college-level curriculum and have committed the time, energy, and effort to achieve high levels of success.
The evening was a moment to pause and congratulate each student on their outstanding academic achievements.