Colton, CA— Last Friday, February 10th, Colton High’s Renaissance recognized students from each class for their academic achievements from the 1st semester of the 2022-2023 school year in the Rivera multipurpose room. 

The ceremonies were again held at the Rivera since the Whitmer Auditorium is still under construction. However, there are hopes from CHS principal John Abbott that construction will be completed in March. 

Recipients of the ceremony received awards varying from Honor Roll, Principal’s Honor Roll, Top 10 of each class, and Honor Guard specifically for Juniors. The Honor Guard are the top 20 students in the Junior class as ranked by GPA at the end of the first semester. They will lead the seniors as part of the graduation procession this year on May 25.

Isaac Ornelas, Honor Guard recipient for this year, expressed his gratitude. “I feel honored to be a part of this year’s Honor Guard and I cannot wait for the moment to come! I believe I worked hard for it, as classes could get overwhelming at times.”

Once all was said and done, parents took pictures of their students on stage and students went home with academic bragging rights as they carried their certificates and medals home. 

Due to the Rivera’s maximum capacity limitation of 591 guests, the awards event was separated into two ceremonies held at 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Additionally, plans were made to have student recipients sit outside the Rivera since the venue features an indoor-outdoor stage. 

The first ceremony did not have a turn out as big as expected, allowing for students to be seated inside with their parents. 

The second ceremony, however, exceeded maximum capacity, requiring students sit outside. Heaters were provided to keep students warm.