Student Spotlights – August 2025

Incubate Debate held its National Championship in Sarasota, bringing together 10 states to debate timely and topical subjects affecting our country. The competition took place from Friday, 5/31 to Sunday, 6/1 with students from ten states around the nation. ECPS representatives from Pensacola High School, Layla Bruck (rising senior), David Knoblock (rising junior), Maverick Marley (rising senior) and Carey Vinson (c/o 2025 graduate) all made the trip to participate.
Carey ranked 7th place after making it to the final round, with the top 8 students in the country. He was able to gracefully and respectfully engage in civil dialogue with his peers, while lifting up others in his preliminaries and semi-final rooms.
David advanced to the semi-finals. Maverick engaged in a one-on-one debate format called Incubate Live with Warren Smith, a former teacher and YouTuber, on current social issues during one of the non-traditional exhibition sessions.
Maverick was also awarded the Northwest Florida Incubator of the Year Award for 2025.

The Escambia Westgate School Class of 2025 graduated in May. Escambia Westgate School serves students from pre-K through high school with varying exceptionalities. “We, all of us, are so very proud of you,” Deputy Superintendent Shenna Payne said. “The one one thing I want you to remember from all of us here is that you are loved. You are champions, and we will see you and the great things that you will do the way only you can do it in the future.”
The guest speaker was Grant Nunley, a 15-year-old freshman from Escambia High School. Nunley, who was born with spastic dyskinetic quadriplegia (a form of cerebral palsy), advocates for those with disabilities and offered words of encouragement to the Westgate graduates. “There will be times when the road seems impossible, but remember that every move that you make forward, no matter how small is always going to be a victory. Keep pushing, keep striving and never lose sight of your dreams,” Nunley said. Continue to support one another, remember to celebrate your achievements, and no matter what, work towards a world where everyone, regardless of their abilities, can thrive.”
The Escambia Westgate Class of 2025 graduates were:
Samuel Alfonso Battaglia
Joshua Grant Boatwright
Jayla Somone Carter
Jason Antonio Darr
Bethany Catherine Feagin-Davis
Russell Lee Fountain
Tyler Jensen
Kahreemah Nashyda Muhammad
Zachary Reed Pennington
Hannah Brooke Schneider
Davion Lynell Williams

This week, the Northwest Florida Fellowship of Christian Athletes recently presented their “Game Changer” awards to local high school athletes. The awards honored their participation in flag football, lacrosse, and tennis. The winners were chosen by their teammates based upon their integrity, dedication, character, and FCA values.
Flag Football
Madison Levins — Northview
Meya Dunn — PHS
Nikari Taylor — Pine Forest
Jolie Larche — Booker T. Washington
Adrianna Middleton — Tate
Lacrosse – Girls
Mattie Hendrickson — Gulf Breeze
Jade Mills — Milton
Julia Frosch — Catholic
Mallory Orcino — Tate (pictured below)
Lucy Adams Stevenson — PHS
Lacrosse – Boys
Thomas Ramsey — PHS
Ezekiel Maxwell — Milton
Hudson Mitchell — Catholic
Jacob Poljak — Washington
Graham Pennington — Gulf Breeze
Tennis – Girls
Maya Chavan — Catholic
Madison “Lexi” Hodge — Washington
Regan York — Escambia
Parker Briscione — PHS
Quinn Dunne — Milton
Tennis – Boys
Dylan Broxton — Milton
Holt Pair — Catholic
Christian Revoredo — Escambia
Alex Kinney — PHS
Avery Grizzard — East Hill

Thirteen students from Pensacola High School proudly represented their school and state at the 2025 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference, held in Anaheim, California from June 29 to July 2. Led by current Chapter President Joyeeta De, the group competed against over 15,000 top student leaders from across the country.
All participating Pensacola High School students earned recognition as Top 50 finalists nationally in their events—an outstanding achievement in a highly competitive environment. Special honors included:
David Knoblock and Melody Nguyen, who placed in the Top 15 nationally in Banking & Financial Systems.
Liam Nelson, who got up on the national stage and placed 9th in the nation in Cybersecurity.
The full list of competitive events and participants is as follows:
Business Ethics – Alexis Benson, Charles Benson
Annual Chapter Report – Alexis Benson, David Knoblock, Lucy Mitchem
American Enterprise Project – Joyeeta De, Berkeley Morris, Abigail Whitley
Public Service Announcement – Joyeeta De, Claire Gorton
Partnership with Business Project – Claire Gorton, Sylvia Linder, Henry White
International Business – Sylvia Linder
Advertising – Mikhiyah Page
Business Communication – Abigail Whitley
This trip marks another high point for the Pensacola High School FBLA Chapter, which continues to be recognized as one of the most accomplished chapters in the state and nation. The chapter is a three-year recipient of the FBLA Gold Champion Chapter Award, placing in the top 5% of chapters nationally, and has consistently earned the Gold Seal Chapter Award of Merit, ranking in the top 15% of chapters in Florida.
In March 2025, the chapter brought 109 students to the State Leadership Conference in Orlando, with over 25 placing in the top four in their events—qualifying them for nationals. Pensacola High School’s FBLA chapter is the largest in Florida’s District 1 and is advised by Jacob Hill, who also serves as FBLA District Director and a member of the Florida FBLA State Board.

Escambia County Public Schools hosted the annual Battle of the Books competition recently. A total of 77 teams comprised of 341 students competed against each other to see who had the most knowledge of this year’s Battle of the Books titles. Participating students read up to 15 titles from this year’s Sunshine State Young Readers and Florida Teens Read book lists. Teams met before, after, and during school with their coaches to develop their problem solving and collaboration skills, and to discuss the books’ themes, characters, settings, and main events. The competition included four rounds of fifteen questions each, culminating with a final Lightning Round as a tiebreaker.
Winners were:
3rd Grade
1st Place – 3rd Grade Ultimate Readers, Hellen Caro Elementary
Coaches: Daniela Reid, Keri Peel, Danielle Tomlin
Team Members: Ashton Adams, Dahlia Noell, Silas Tomlin, Ryatt Mays, Kelsey Mysak
2nd Place – Suter Rockin’ Readers, A.K. Suter Elementary
Coach: Paula Stillman
Team Members: Ellie Mahne, Alex Rainey, Robert Leahy II, Reese Schweigert
3rd Place – Pleasant Grove Readers, Pleasant Grove Elementary
Coach: Aaron Foote
Team Members: Oliver Shedd, Ari Holmes, Yessiell Perez, River Giuffria, Silas Davis
4th Grade
1st Place – N.B. Cook 4th Grade, N.B. Cook Elementary
Coaches: Dawn Jackson, Nicki Smith
Team Members: Ava Wall, Piper Bennett, Landree Williams, Zoey Williams, Theodore Shehadi
2nd Place – 4th Suter Dolphins, A.K. Suter Elementary
Coach: Paula Stillman
Team Members: James Thompson, Emma Emmert, Kylie Gambill, Yared Ash, Jack McWilliams
3rd Place – Lipscomb Word Wizards – 4th Grade, Lipscomb Elementary
Coach: Jamie King
Team Members: Aria Whitfield, Syrena Solis, Katie Nguyen, Jacey Cohenour, Taylor-Lynn Mortellaro
5th Grade
1st Place – 5 Guys in Ties, Ferry Pass Elementary
Coaches: Laura Hobbs, Madison Watson
Team Members: Ariel Vincent, Fabiola Vallecillo-Medina, Stella Kroeger, Harper Miller, Lillian Coates
2nd Place – N.B. Cook Stars 4/5, N.B. Cook Elementary
Coaches: Dawn Jackson, Nicki Smith
Team Members: Erin Larsen, Lucas Senkbeil, Emmi Olson, Weston Berry
3rd Place – Pleasant Grove Roadrunners, Pleasant Grove Elementary
Coach: Aaron Foote
Team Members: Luke Lalane, Roman Harris, Violet Diehl, Zylah McComb
Middle School
1st Place – Brown-Barge Team 2, Brown-Barge Middle School
Coach: Kristy Imhof
Team Members: Alex Robertson, Aden Khan, Cameron Powell, Lucas Ramos
2nd Place – Brown-Barge Team 3, Brown-Barge Middle School
Coach: Kristy Imhof
Team Members: Carter Murray, Luke Poole, Eldon Dionne
3rd Place – Ernest Ward Eagles, Ernest Ward Middle School
Coach: Sherri Stallworth
Team Member: Jaelyn Connors
High School
1st Place – Tate High School
Coach: Maryjane Gardner
Team Members: Lily McArthur, Reagan Hatcher, Emma Nigam, Lily Laughlin, Abby Lynch
2nd Place – The Bookies, Pensacola High School
Coach: Heather Horn
Team Members: Aiden Martin, Jaeda-Kai Eiwuley, Kaiya Arrants

The Escambia County Retired Educators Association awarded Nicholas Maum with a $1000 scholarship tonight. Nicholas is a Tate graduate with plans to enter the educational field.

Ms. Bradley’s class at AK Suter won the State of Florida NEED Project award and were also finalists for the National Award! Seven of the students from the class were able to attend conference and receive the award at NEED Project National Conference last week.
Way to go, Dolphins!

Creative Learning Academy’s Camp CLA has once again benefited from the dedication and hard work of our community volunteers. Each summer, these volunteers step forward to support camp activities, assist staff, and help create a fun environment for our campers. Their willingness to give their time ensures that Camp CLA continues to be a positive and enriching experience for everyone involved.
This year, our campus is undergoing significant changes, with the construction of a new middle school building and the installation of two new playgrounds. The construction work is nearly finished, and the playgrounds are now in place, providing new spaces for students to learn and play. These improvements reflect CLA’s commitment to creating the best possible environment for our students, but also created logistical challenges for most of our summer camps.
A special highlight of our volunteer program is the involvement of our past graduates, who return to CLA to help guide and support current students. Their participation not only strengthens our camp community but also reinforces the important principle of “leaving it better than you found it,” a value that we strive to instill in all CLA students. Through their service, these alumni demonstrate the lasting impact of a CLA education and the strong bonds that connect our school community.

Escambia County Public Schools’ Office of Community Involvement recognized Pine Meadow Elementary’s Denise Simmons as the Stellar Employee of the Year for 2025. Simmons serves as the administrative clerk at Pine Meadow Elementary. She has been with the district for 26 years and has dedicated 10 years to Pine Meadow. The district said Simmons consistently exemplifies the essential qualities expected of an administrative clerk. As the first point of contact for parents and students at Pine Meadow, she welcomes everyone with a friendly smile and greets them by name, helping to foster a welcoming and supportive environment.

Box Tops for Education sends $30,000 to one Escambia County SchooBrown Barge Middle School. When students return this fall, they will have brand new trapezoid desks and black chairs in all the classrooms. The new furnishings – made possible by a $30,000 Box Tops for Education award along with $170,000 from the Escambia County Public Schools – will replace a mishmash of old desks and chairs, some dating back decades.
Brown Barge Principal Janet Penrose said when Tawanna Edwards, the school’s Box Tops for Education coordinator, shared news of the award, new furniture was at the top of everyone’s – students, faculty and administrators – wish list.
The Box Tops for Education award would only cover furniture for four classrooms, but Penrose said she asked school district administrators for help with furnishings for a few more classrooms. The administrators went even further and put in additional funds to replace furniture in all 25 of the school’s STREAM classrooms.
Brown Barge was the only Florida school and one of only 10 schools in the U.S. to receive the $30,000 Box Tops for Education award – which is part of a $300,000 total investment from General Mills to uplift school communities.

Lucy Waters is employed at Escambia Westgate as an Instructional Behavioral Assistant. She is currently enrolled in the ParaToTeacher scholarship program through UWF. The ParaToTeacher program is designed to remove financial barriers for paraprofessionals who want to earn a degree in Exceptional Student Education.
As part of the program, Lucy was selected to attend the Legislative Summit in Washington DC, being held July 13-16th. Lucy will have many opportunities to speak with different legislators about the importance of funding for Exceptional Education. Lucy is excited to go and “carry the voices of all my colleagues and students to the people that make changes happen.”
Congratulations, Lucy, on your achievements!

Nearly 3,000 students from all fifty United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Department of Defense Schools in the Atlantic, and international schools in China, Korea, and elsewhere (NHD International) participated in the National History Day Competition College Park, Maryland. The students competed in five categories of research projects on the theme of “Rights and Responsibilities in History.”
Three students from Pensacola High School represented ECPS and Florida at the National History Day Competition. Aya Prince was recognized as the Outstanding Entry from Florida and won third place in the Senior Individual Performance category for her performance titled, “A Court for the Creeks: How Seven Men Set in Motion a 150-Year Battle.”
Hasini Kandala and Sudhishna Gampa competed in the Senior Group Exhibits category and were selected to have their exhibit titled, “The ‘Thind’ White Line,” to be displayed at the National Museum of American History (NMAH) on June 11. They made runoffs in their division and were the recipients of the Asian American History Award. This prize, sponsored by the National Park Service, is given in recognition of demonstrated excellence in the study of Asian American history.
The full awards ceremony can be viewed at https://youtu.be/YAJ92WPY608. We are happy to share the good news of these students and are proud of their achievements. Escambia County will continue the tradition of National History Day next year with the theme, “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.”

Our basketball lions kicked off their summer by hosting a basketball camp for 1st-6th grade students. Young lions learned all about having discipline, working together as a team and what having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ looks like.

Pensacola Catholic High School is very proud of the three Class of 2025 graduates who received appointments to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Aiden Baker, Julia Frosch, and Hudson Mitchell have reported as “Plebes” to their summer assignments at the Academy before starting their academic programs later this fall. Three additional Crusaders have chosen to pursue military careers, beginning with their college education. Jeremiah Shelby will be attending the Air Force Academy, and Alastair Casler and Maggie Stockton have received ROTC Scholarships – Marine Option, to attend Loyola University New Orleans and The Citadel, respectively. Many blessings to all those who have elected to serve our country in their next chapter in life.

Students Suzie Baker (11th grade) and Kayley Ramswell (10th grade) competed in to Florida FFA Agriscience Fair placing 1st place overall in Social Systems, Division 6. Their topic discussed the overall public perception of the use of animals within medical research. Their survey was sent out via email and social media to reach a broad range of individuals. With close to 300 responses, the students gathered data, explained their findings within a written report, and completed their project last week by giving a brief presentation to administrators, superintendents, and agriculturalists who attended the 97th FFA State Convention and Expo.
In addition to these accomplishments, Suzie Baker also competed in the State Extemporaneous Speaking Contest, placing 4th overall.
Lily Driver (11th) and Ally Aguillar (11th) competed in the agriscience fair, placing 2nd on their topic of Goat Polio in Animal Systems, Division 6. Members Mikayle Salvadora, Kensi Armendariz, Evan Anderson, Chloe Maddox, Elizabeth Flores, Aubrey Jacobi, and Ruby Driver (all 9th grade) competed in Conduct of Chapter meetings placing in the top 12 in the State.
Gabriel Flores (11th grade) and Kensi Armendariz (9th grade) performed in front of a large crowd (over 4,000 members and guests) singing the National Anthem in Session 1 and “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town in Session 3, respectively. Finally, Bella Trivison (11th) received a proficiency award for her Feeder Swine Project and the WFHS chapter received the Premier Chapter Award.

Classes begin in early August at Pensacola Catholic High School, but students have been busy on campus all summer. Mrs. Peyton Finelli, Freshman and Sophomore Guidance Counselor, with the assistance of members from CHS Student Ambassadors, offered five sessions of the New Crusaders Workshop. The purpose of this optional program is to help students feel more comfortable with CHS prior to the start of school. Each four-hour session provided the incoming Freshman students the opportunity to meet fellow students sooner and to get an early understanding of expectations once school starts. During each session, students toured the campus, received an early explanation of how the class schedule works, and received wonderful tips on note-taking and studying. They also had an interactive session on what they think the differences are between middle school and high school. Mrs. Finelli began these sessions in 2023, and they have become increasingly popular each year. A total of 134 students attended this year’s sessions, and participants left excited to start their freshman year as Crusaders.