Vote for IndyStar Student of the Week for May 12-16
Readers can vote for their favorite student throughout the week at the bottom of this story on IndyStar.com, with polling closing at noon on Thursday, May 15. Winners will be announced every Friday.
This contest aims to introduce readers not just to the student who winds up winning but to all of the highly accomplished nominees.
Here's what nominating school leaders had to say about this week's nominees:
Cody Martin is an outstanding student leader in both Key Club and National Honor Society. He's helped raise thousands for service projects, served breakfast to WWII, Korea, and Vietnam veterans, and led a project installing Little Free Libraries in our community. He helped host a carnival for individuals with disabilities and is often seen playing with children while parents connect with support organizations. Cody planned and led a breakfast for local veterans and has worked hard to become a confident presenter, earning several scholarships. His heart for service, leadership, and kindness make him a deserving Student of the Month.
Tom Gallagher embodies our promise: "Lead with humility, serve with love, trust in Providence." A four-year GCHS football player, Tom led quietly with grit and sportsmanship, even after an injury sidelined him in his senior season. He remained committed, supporting teammates in practice and on the sidelines. In class, Tom shows love through respectful, kind interactions. Though not always front and center, his steady, humble presence is a model of quiet leadership.
Saymon has grown and matured so much during the last three years at Speedway High School. He is working very hard this quarter to make good choices and to do his best. For his hard work and desire to do the right things, Saymon was selected as a Student of the Quarter. Additionally, he helps our in-school food pantry, Sparky's Closet. He works tirelessly to move items from delivery trucks to storage inside the school. Then, twice a month, he assists with doing a food distribution to local families as they drive up to the school. He helps to make this program a success along with his teacher, Mrs. Courtney Wilkerson.
Lily is a compassionate and driven student leader whose dedication to service and excellence shines in every aspect of her life. As managing editor of The Journal, senior officer of Key Club, and national honor society member, Lily consistently leads with integrity. She balances academics, a 20-hour workweek, church volunteering, and multiple leadership roles, all while pursuing her dream of becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner. Whether mentoring 5th graders at Cards@Camp or organizing school events, Lily uplifts others with empathy and commitment. Her future in nursing will no doubt reflect the same heart and purpose she brings to Southport.
Cadet Lt. Col. Angelo Hogan has served exceptionally this year as the Battalion Commander of our Army JROTC program. Additionally, Angelo was recently selected by a brigade leadership board to serve next school year as the Brigade Command Sergeant Major for all of the IPS Army JROTC programs, an exceptional achievement considering he is a second-year cadet. He is the class president of the sophomore class, has a 3.96 GPA, and ranks 9th out of 206 students.
A quiet leader, Ryan never seeks attention but is always first to help, whether through four years of baseball, three years in band, or volunteering at Douglas MacArthur Elementary to support kids in their 'Specials' classes. He's a dedicated member of FLOTS, serving with heart and humility. Ryan leads by example, giving his time simply because he cares. His actions define his character. Perry Meridian is better because of him.
Roncalli Band Director Laura Gottman states, "Xochitl is an amazing student at Roncalli. She constantly volunteers her time with the band, jazz band, lab band, and the South Deanery elementary band on top of her already being in band and her busy schedule. Xochitl's humor and personality light up a room. Every day, I know that Xochitl will make me laugh and put others at ease. High degrees of participation in learning activities and intellectual curiosity within the classroom were also cited.
Sophie has been such an amazingly hard worker. She is so persistent through her academic challenges. We love the high, achievable, academic goals she sets for herself. She takes advantage of the resources our school offers all students, such as study tables, to make sure she understands topics well. She doesn't hesitate to work hard for her goals and understanding. Her persistence and questioning are contagious to her classmates, too. No one is afraid to ask questions in her class and a large part of it is due to her boldness and bravery, to always ask focused, clarifying questions that many students benefit from too.
Ian exemplifies leadership and effort both in and out of the classroom. In Spanish, he engages in conversation and continually improves. He was also instrumental in organizing the first Junior Giveback Day, managing multiple responsibilities with confidence and maturity.
Glory has truly shone with incredible dedication to our classroom community. Her creativity and initiative brought our class play to a whole new level! Glory's always ready to help others, share ideas, and contribute in meaningful ways. Her positive attitude, leadership, and willingness to go the extra mile make her an outstanding role model to her classmates.
Ava Hess is the President of the Class of '25 at Martinsville High School and was voted Homecoming Queen. She has been a varsity cheerleader on the Conference Champ M.H.S. cheer team, and she has assisted with Sparkle Cheer. She is a member of F.F.A. and is a 10-year 4-H Member. Ava is a member of our "Red Blue Crew," which helped the School earn the "WTHR Operation Football Spirit Award." She is a Peer Tutor and was a Delegate to Hoosier Girls' State. Ava will attend Franklin College to major in Business and will be a member of the Cheer Team there.
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Los Angeles Times
07-08-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Tom and Ethel Bradley house among Black heritage sites in L.A. designated cultural monuments
When Tom and Ethel Bradley moved with their two young daughters into a modest three-bedroom home in Leimert Park in 1950, Black people were restricted from buying houses in the neighborhood. The Bradleys had to purchase the home through a white buyer likely affiliated with the American Civil Liberties Union, recalled their oldest daughter, Lorraine Bradley, who was almost 7 years old at the time. 'It was the very first time that a Black family moved into Leimert Park,' said Lorraine, explaining the immediate historic significance of the home, and adding that her parents were brave people who believed integration was essential to equality. 'My parents understood the implications of that. They were willing to sacrifice themselves in many regards.' For the first year, white children on the street wouldn't play with Lorraine or her 5-year-old sister, but that slowly changed and the family became accepted in the neighborhood. It helped that Tom was a police officer, said Lorraine. Tom and Ethel explained to their children that, 'unless people understood and lived with you, they would only look at you racially and not as a person,' said Lorraine. The 1,282-square-foot home — where the Bradleys lived until 1977, when Tom became the first Black mayor of Los Angeles and moved the family into the 10,000-square-foot Getty House — is among six buildings of deep importance to Black heritage in L.A. that have been designated Historic Cultural Monuments as part of a project led by the Getty in collaboration with the City of Los Angeles' Office of Historic Resources. 'We are thrilled for everyone to recognize the courage that my parents took to move to that neighborhood,' said Lorraine. 'Somebody had to, so my dad and mom decided it was them.' 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AAHPLA hosted a kickoff event at St. Elmo Village in 2023, but work to create the project began in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd when many cultural organizations, including Getty, began reevaluating the ways they were highlighting and interacting with Black history, art and heritage, said Rita Cofield, associate project specialist at the Getty Conservation Institute and AAHPLA project leader. Getty soon decided to implement an initiative focused on African American heritage in L.A. and began looking for partners in the community who could help best identify each unique location. In some cases, unless you have roots in a particular community, you won't have the depth of understanding to realize that even though a particular building looks commonplace — or isn't built in high architectural style — that it's actually extremely important, said Cofield. 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Newsweek
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Hearts Melt at How Man Lets Senior Cat Know He Is Home
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Yahoo
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- Yahoo
Woman Says She's Helping an Ex Who's Going Through a ‘Crisis' — at the ‘Expense' of Her Current Relationship
The woman, who shared her story on Reddit, said she feels as though her boyfriend is "leveraging" the situation "to make me choose between them"NEED TO KNOW A woman claims her boyfriend is 'livid' because she is helping an ex who recently 'suffered a severe mental health crisis' The woman says she and the friend 'briefly' dated almost a decade ago She shared her story on Reddit, where the majority of commenters said they thought the woman's boyfriend was being unreasonableA woman says her partner is 'livid' because she's been helping out an ex in 'crisis' — and she's wondering who's in the wrong. The 34-year-old detailed her story on the popular Reddit forum 'Am I the A------,' a place where users can go to seek advice about interpersonal dilemmas. In her post, the woman said she has been dating her current partner, 'Tom,' for 'about eight years,' and they recently bought a home together. The woman went on to explain that she has a friend, 'Alex,' whom she 'briefly' dated 'for about six months almost a decade ago' — though she said that it was 'more like a platonic, asexual companionship than a romantic relationship.' The issue? The OP (original poster) said Alex recently 'suffered a severe mental health crisis.' 'He was involuntarily hospitalized, lost his job. He's disoriented, struggles with memory, and clearly needs support,' she added. 'I've been trying to help where I can, like helping him fill out job paperwork or apply for assistance because he has no one else here [in this country],' she continued. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! The OP went on to share that her partner is now 'absolutely livid' over the situation — despite the fact that she only sees Alex 'about once a month.' 'He's never liked Alex, and now he openly hates him,' she wrote. 'He's said hurtful things like, 'Are we supposed to wipe his a-- forever?' and has called him cruel names." 'I can't help but feel that he's leveraging this situation as an opportunity to make me choose between them … which feels pretty bad, to be honest,' the OP added. The OP also said that while Tom 'demands transparency' about the current situation with Alex, he also 'blows up' when she shares details about what's happening. She additionally said that Tom refuses to go to couples counseling with her because he 'doesn't really seem to believe in therapy.' "He accuses me of choosing [my friend] over him and says he feels like I'm not hearing his concerns,' she added. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'So, AITA [am I the a------] for continuing to help my friend even though it's damaging my relationship?' the OP asked as she concluded her post. The vast majority of commenters said they thought the OP was perfectly within her right to want to help her friend — and also suggested that she perhaps reconsider her relationship with her partner. 'NTA [not the a------],' one person said. 'Your partner's comments are uncalled for, and his refusal to go to therapy is a big red flag. He sounds very emotionally immature and more than a little insecure.' 'NTA,' agreed someone else. 'Lose the load and get rid of Tom. You sound like a good friend to Alex. Tom sounds like a terrible boyfriend.' 'Have you fully considered what this behavior says about your partner?' yet another commenter asked. 'Leaving aside the fact that he's coming across as jealous and controlling, he's coming across [as] incredibly callous and selfish.' They added, 'Your friend is struggling alone, and your partner wants you to what? Forget that? Stop caring? He has zero concern for a fellow human who is important to you. Is that really someone you want to be with?' If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
