School Board Honors National Beta Competitors for Outstanding Achievements

School Board Honors National Beta Competitors for Outstanding Achievements

At a recent St. Bernard Parish School Board meeting, student members of the N.P. Trist Middle School and Chalmette High School Beta Clubs were recognized with proclamations honoring their outstanding accomplishments at the National Beta Convention and for representing St. Bernard Parish with excellence on the national stage.

The proclamations celebrated months of hard work, creativity, collaboration, and academic achievement that earned these students the opportunity to compete against some of the nation's top Beta members in Nashville, Tennessee.

N.P. Trist Middle School's Junior Beta Club delivered an impressive showing at the National Junior Beta Convention, earning multiple top-10 national finishes across academic, STEM, visual arts, and performing arts competitions.

Led by sponsors Felix Caserta, Sharene Dali, and Meghan McMullin, the club earned the following national honors:

• 4th Place – Robotics: Scarlett Aranda, Jonah Capstick, Devin Lindheim, Jack McMullin, Ethan Nguyen, and Mackenzie Shreve
• 6th Place – Engineering: Micah Bastoe, Cade Billiot, Gianni Domino, Jayden Forvendel, and Brantley Topey
• 7th Place – 8th Grade Math: Jack McMullin
• 9th Place – Living Literature: Club Competition
• 9th Place – Performing Arts Vocal Duo: Autumn Higginbotham and Ava Petitfils

In addition to these national honors, Trist students also competed in SongFest and Apparel Design, showcasing the club's diverse talents. Autumn Higginbotham and Ava Petitfils were further recognized as Premier Performers, an elite distinction awarded to exceptional performing arts competitors who were invited to perform during the convention's opening ceremony.

Students representing N.P. Trist Middle School at the National Junior Beta Convention included Scarlett Aranda, Micah Bastoe, Briley Blackwell, Isabella Broussard, Cade Billiot, Jonah Capstick, Miriam Dali, Gianni Domino, Abigail Esler, Jayden Forvendel, Autumn Higginbotham, Caleb Higginbotham, Andre Jenkins, Zoe Johnson, Hunter Kellum, Devin Lindheim, Layla Held, Jack McMullin, Mia Meyer, Ethan Nguyen, Caina Orihuela, Ava Petitfils, Estella Perez, Mackenzie Shreve, Dominick Shreve, Brantley Topey, and Taegen Williams.

Chalmette High School also proudly represented St. Bernard Parish at the National Beta Convention after qualifying through state competition. The school's Robotics Team - Caden Bryan, Elbin Chavez, Leandro Cural, Ramy Dali, Preston Senez, Carter Tran, Bryce Watson, and Rendon White - earned the opportunity to compete as Louisiana State Champions in Robotics. They were joined by Lynna Quach, who qualified as a State Poetry finalist and represented Chalmette High School in the national competition. Chalmette High teacher Monica Hentze serves as the lead sponsor for Chalmette High’s team.

School Board President Diana Dysart praised the students and their sponsors for their talent, innovation, determination, and school pride while competing alongside the nation's highest-achieving students.

"Our Beta students continue to demonstrate what is possible through hard work, creativity, and perseverance," said Dysart. "Whether designing robots, solving engineering challenges, excelling in academics, or showcasing their artistic and performing talents, these students represented St. Bernard Parish with tremendous pride."

Support from the Meraux Foundation and Chalmette Refining helped N.P. Trist Middle School students attend the National Junior Beta Convention, while Valero and Chalmette Refining supported Chalmette High School's national competitors. Together, these investments help provide students with opportunities to develop leadership skills, pursue academic excellence, and showcase their talents through Beta, the nation's largest independent educational youth organization.