District News

Prior to graduation, nine Waco ISD seniors were awarded $51,000 in scholarship funding. The scholarship presentations included those managed by the Waco ISD Education Foundation -- the Harper Elizabeth Miller Memorial Scholarship, Dorothy Crippen Hurd Scholarship, Kenneth B. Esterak Memorial Scholarships, Kenneth A. Love Memorial Scholarship, Matthew Barrera Memorial Scholarship, and Bill Davenport Scholarship. The Waco Public Schools Alumni Association and the family of Butch Henry also awarded scholarships to students.

The Harper Elizabeth Miller Memorial Scholarship was established to honor the late daughter of David and Emily Miller.  David is a Waco High School Class of 2011 graduate. The scholarship awards $15,000 over a four-year period to a well-rounded Waco High graduate ranked in the top 20% of his or her class. 

The Dorothy Crippen Hurd Scholarship awards $10,000 over a four-year period to a Waco High graduate ranked in the top 5% of his or her class with proven leadership and community volunteerism.  This year, the scholarship committee chose to award two Dorothy Crippen Hurd Scholarships.

The Kenneth B. Esterak Memorial Scholarships, each totaling $2,500, were awarded to Waco High graduates who will be attending Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin.

A memorial scholarship was established with the Waco ISD Education Foundation in 2016 in memory of Kenneth A. Love, the late son of Waco ISD Athletic Director Ed Love and his wife, Dortheia, who presented the scholarship to this year’s recipient. 

A memorial scholarship was established and sponsored by the family of Matthew Barrera, a 2005 graduate of Waco High School. Diane Barrera, Matthew’s mother, was present to award the scholarship.

Before his retirement in 2018, Bill Davenport served in a leadership role with H-E-B for 29 years, with 17 years in Waco alone.  In 2006, Bill, along with the Waco ISD Education Foundation, helped to found the H-E-B Celebrity Cookoff, an annual event that raises funds for innovative grants in Waco ISD classrooms. Bill continued to participate in the planning of the event and served as a celebrity chef each year. Over its 13 years during Bill's involvement, the H-E-B Celebrity Cookoff cumulatively raised more than one million dollars for the Waco ISD Education Foundation. 

H-E-B chose to celebrate Davenport and his years of service by funding a scholarship named in his honor for Waco ISD seniors who are also partners at H-E-B and demonstrated academic success, involvement in school activities and programs, and an active role in community service. This will be the final year of the $1,000 annual scholarship.

This year’s scholarship recipients will be attending Baylor University, Barnard College at Columbia University, Langston University, Texas A&M University, McLennan Community College, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and The University of Texas at Austin.

Class of 2023 Scholarship Recipients

Harper Elizabeth Miller Memorial Scholarship - $15,000
Maritza Degollado-Ramirez – Waco High School

Dorothy Crippen Hurd Scholarship - $10,000
Helen Goodman – Waco High School

Dorothy Crippen Hurd Scholarship - $10,000
Maritza Degollado-Ramirez – Waco High School

Butch Henry Memorial Scholarship - $4,500
Gabriela Dominguez – Waco High School

Matthew Barrera Memorial Scholarship - $2,500
Gisselle Campos – Waco High School

Kenneth B. Esterak Memorial Scholarship – The University of Texas at Austin - $2,500
Kayla Cho – Waco High School

Kenneth B. Esterak Memorial Scholarship – Texas A&M University - $2,500
Elanah Sriram – Waco High School 

Kenneth A. Love Memorial Scholarship - $1,000
Asharah Thibodeaux – Waco High School

Bill Davenport Scholarship - $1000 each
Gabriela Dominguez – Waco High School
Madison Huston – University High School

Waco Public Schools Alumni Association - $500 each
Kayla Cho – Waco High School
Tianna Miles – University High School

Class of 2023 Scholarships Photo Album