Latest news with #Ransford
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Coventry High valedictorian to attend Yale with double major
COVENTRY — Mya Ransford, a student who demonstrated countless leadership, academic and athletic achievements, is the Coventry High School Class of 2025 valedictorian. When she began her high school career, becoming the valedictorian was not a goal for Ransford, but she knew she wanted to try her best and work hard. Becoming valedictorian was not entirely a surprise, because she knew her ranking among her other peers, but it never became her goal. 'I think it was more about just learning in the journey rather than achieving the title,' she said. 'It's nice that I got the title, but it was more about learning in school.' Throughout her high school career, Ransford has been involved in different clubs and athletic activities, while maintaining excellence in her academic curriculum. She is an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction and earned the AP Capstone Diploma. 'It's really exciting. It was a lot of hard work over the past four years, but it was worth it,' she said. 'I thank a lot of my teachers and my friends and family for supporting me and it's just a really good feeling that all this hard work led to this.' She was vice president of the National Honor Society and president of the school's volunteering Albert Schweitzer Club, where she has contributed to organize 'PJ Day' and 'Get Out and Play Day,' as well as helping the school community. In addition to her club's involvement, Ransford was this year's varsity tennis captain. In 2023, she was named Most Dedicated Player, and the following year, she earned the title of Most Valuable Player. She also served as the student representative during the Coventry Board of Education meetings. In the fall, Ransford will be entering Yale University as a double major in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry and Psychology. Some of her aspirations are teaching and conducting research in the field of pharmacology. Jokingly, she said she decided to go there because New Haven has great pizza. Seriously, she likes the school's philosophy and the opportunities that they offer. 'I like psychology and biochemistry, so if I went to some schools, I might have to give up one of those things to go study the other,' Ransford said. 'But at Yale, they let you explore a whole bunch of different academic interests.' As she enters her college career, she is looking forward to participating in some research, meeting new people, discovering new experiences and bringing all that back to her own community. In the next few years, she sees herself going to graduate school and, eventually, earning a PhD in pharmacology. 'But, you know, things change. I might find a new academic interest that I like and it'll take me a completely different path,' she said. 'And I'm willing to do that.' Her advice to the incoming Class of 2029 would be to take every opportunity that comes their way. She said freshmen should not be scared or intimidated by students who might look more grown up than they do, and she encourages them to talk to these older students, who are here to help new students be successful. She believes that by getting involved in activities and working hard, students can learn a lot of skills that they will need in adulthood. 'I feel like it's easy to just kind of cruise through high school, but if you're willing to work hard and take the AP classes and you participate in extracurricular activities, that'll take you really far in life,' she said.
USA Today
29-01-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Social media post says ICE agents visited IPS elementary school. District officials say no
Social media post says ICE agents visited IPS elementary school. District officials say no Show Caption Hide Caption Hear about HB 1158, one of immigration laws, from author Rep. Lauer Indiana Rep. Ryan Lauer presents HB 1158 during the House local government committee hearing, one of immigration bills this legislative session. A social media rumor started Wednesday said that Brookside Elementary School on the east side of Indianapolis went on lockdown after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were outside the building. But officials said there was no truth to the claim. Indianapolis Public School media relations director Marc Ransford told IndyStar Wednesday afternoon that the school had not been on any lockdowns and that ICE agents had not visited the building. The rumor spread rapidly Wednesday afternoon on social media. IndyStar reached out to the person thought to have originated the rumor and did not immediately hear back. Many of those who shared the rumor on their pages also expressed concern about President Donald Trump's decision to reverse previous protections for schools to be 'protected' locations when it comes to immigration law enforcement. IPS has said it will not let ICE in schools without a warrant. Ransford reiterated that on Wednesday after media outlets reached out to school officials regarding the matter. Last week, IPS informed families about the district's policies about allowing ICE onto school grounds. District officials have said school staff are trained on how to respond to situations involving undocumented students and families. Every child in the U.S., regardless of immigration status, has a right to attend public school under federal law. The post that spread on social media featured a text message that read, "Ice is waiting outside Brookside school. They are on a soft lockdown." The person who posted the image on the social media platform Facebook shared on the post that school administrators "went outside to make ICE leave," attributing the information to "a school partner." Ransford said none of the events detailed in the post had actually happened. Officials from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, to whom ICE may turn for help in some cases, said that they had not been asked to assist with any investigations.
