Students honored at Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Academic Excellence Awards

From the way she tap danced in her Mary Jane shoes on Wednesday night, it was hard to tell that Hunter Grace Coleman spent much of first grade in a wheelchair, walker and brace.

But despite a leg injury suffered in an accident that may have set other students back, Coleman, 6, took home a Las Vegas Review-Journal Academic Excellence Award on Wednesday. At Mathis Elementary School — named after her grandma, Beverly S. Mathis, who accompanied her — Coleman maintained a 3.8 GPA, even when she had to complete some of her work at home following the injury.

In addition to her schoolwork, Coleman is a Girl Scout, and loves to read books with her parents and grandma. On the way to the awards ceremony, Coleman said she carefully practiced the 65 words she would say on stage.

“I have a lot of favorite books,” Coleman said in response to a question about her favorite. “I’m just going to choose the ‘Gingerbread Man.’”

Wednesday night’s honors were presented at a dinner at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center as part of the Review-Journal’s seventh annual awards ceremony. Students in each grade from first through 12th grade won a trophy and $1,000. Two more high school students won the Kinross Gold Star Award. The awards aim to celebrate students who not only excel in their studies, but also give back to the community.

“You are far more than the A’s on your report cards. You are making our community a better place to live,” Review-Journal Executive Editor Glenn Cook said.

Elementary school winners

As a second grader at Earl Elementary School, Connor Olson maintains straight As and was a recipient of the Principal’s Award and Leader of the Month Award. He is also part of the Cougar Broadcast School News, Cougar Pep Squad and weekly book club.

Auzja Brown, now a third grader, has had a 4.0 GPA since kindergarten at Toland International Academy. She is in the gifted and talented education program and is the secretary of the student ambassadors. She also won the student of the month award.

Halo Hullum, also in the gifted and talented education program, is a fourth grader with a 3.75 GPA at Doral Academy. In January, she donated her entire allowance to the school’s Fun Run, which supported teachers to get their essential classroom resources.

Lucas Pehlivani has a 4.0 GPA at The Meadows School and excels in the Johns Hopkins CTY advanced level. He received fifth place as a scholastic state chess finalist and earned many chess tournament awards.

Pehlivani also received two Math Kangaroo podium finishes, a National Mythology Exam medal and UNLV science fair awards. He is fluent in both English and Bulgarian and created an app to help classmates master the Great American Pride program. He also designed an award-winning bridge for a UNLV competition.

Middle school winners

Miller Middle School had two winners: sixth grader Anandita Vyas and seventh grader Kaavel Basu.

Vyas has a 4.0 GPA, even as she takes Algebra I with seventh and eighth graders. She also won the Clark County School District sixth grade spelling bee and a special award for best use of engineering disciplines at the 2025 Future City Competition. Vyas is a classically trained pianist who performs biannually at the Southern Nevada Music Centre.

She also raised nearly $5,000 with her siblings to provide meals to schoolchildren in India.

Basu also has a 4.0 GPA and serves as the school’s mascot. He is on the Robotics Team and Science Olympiads and also teaches younger students to build with Lego. Basu has spearheaded Lego and toy donations to Southern Nevada children’s hospitals and Ronald McDonald House. He is also a National Junior Honor Society leader and organizes volunteer events through Three Square as well as diaper donations to Baby’s Bounty.

Another 4.0 student, eighth grader Kingston Stuart, excels in advanced classes at Faith Lutheran Middle and High School. He has won several academic awards and placed third at the 2024 Regional Science Fair.

He is the student council treasurer, and has won four state competitive events. He also does 30 annual volunteer hours, including fundraising for hospitalized children through Once Upon a Room, assisting at Project 150 and supporting food distribution at the Just One Project.

High school winners

Kaia Lowrey has a 4.325 weighted GPA at Palo Verde High School, where she ranks second in her ninth grade class of 623. She is also a viola soloist, CCSD/PBS Varsity Quiz 2025 All-Star, and second place winner in the Nevada State Treasurer’s Art Contest. She was Rogich Middle School student of the year for three years.

Lowrey has also judged the Vegas PBS Kids Writers Contest, volunteered with the Clark County Library District and supported pediatric trauma patients through Key Club. Lowrey participates in environmental cleanups, tree planting and donates to the Ronald McDonald House.

Aiyana Castro has a 4.0 GPA and serves as Student Body Vice President, National Honor Society member and varsity cheerleader at Arbor View High School.

She has over 3,500 hours of community service. She has done homeless walks, Thanksgiving meal distributions and the annual Hospice Christmas Blessing project. She has also volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House, Opportunity Village and Make-A-Wish.

Spring Valley High School Junior Christina Wrenn has a 4.96 GPA. Her poetry reached the semi-finals of a national contest with over 17,000 applicants.

She is also involved in Path to Furever, which is an animal welfare and adoption organization.

As a senior at Clark High School, Cameron Huang is a published author. She also has a 4.892 GPA in the magnet program and ranks 21st in her class of 706.

Huang received the 2024 Aspiration Computing High School Award and 2023 London Book Festival Winter.

She is also a top-ranked junior golfer. Huang donated $17,000 to Shriners Hospital and SafeNest. She founded Dentistry for Kidz and organized the Las Vegas Cup, which raised $25,030. Huang won the 2024 Dental Terminology Competition.

Senior Michelle Park, who has racked up 1,000 hours of community service, took home the Findlay Subaru of Las Vegas Love Promise Community Award. She hopes to put the $1,000 check towards textbooks at Harvard University this fall.

Gold Star winners

Rancho High School student Kalia Ferguson and Spring Valley High School student Lucas Kubovchik were surprised at their schools with the gold star awards.

“Knowing that I have the opportunity to learn something every single day,” Ferguson said of her ability to maintain her perfect attendance. “I have great teachers here. I have great friends here. I like coming to school. I enjoy being here and so that motivates me to come every day.”

Ferguson is in the sports medicine program and hopes to study physical therapy in college. In addition to her stellar academic performance, Ferguson is involved with the Just One Project, Opportunity Village, United Health and magnet ambassadors.

Kubovchik is the president of his school’s national honor society, and is involved with Model UN, Speech and Debate, Mock Trial and the Youth Conservation Council at Springs Preserve.

Kubovchick credited his parents’ support for getting him to where he was.

“For the longest time, I was motivated by what I wanted to become in the future, what school I wanted to go to. Senior year has taught me the importance of slowing down and being more inspired by the people around me,” he said.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefutterman.bsky.social.