At the February 3 Plano ISD Board of Trustees meeting, the board had the privilege of recognizing outstanding Plano ISD individuals and groups who exemplify excellence, dedication and the spirit of being Plano ISD Proud.
During the week of January 5, the Plano East Senior High School Speech & Debate Team competed at the Class 6A University Interscholastic League Congress State Championship in Austin.
Plano ISD is proud to announce that Plano East Senior Aakash Arulkumaran finished in 6th Place in the state! Aakash competed in his third UIL State tournament, advanced to the final round for the third time and placed in the Top 6 for the second time!
In addition, Ashraf Kuzbari qualified for the state tournament. Congratulations to Aakash, Ashraf and their coach, Madison Gackenbach, for this tremendous success!
Plano ISD theatre students from all three feeder patterns shone at the 2025 Texas Thespian State Festival, earning national qualifications, state-level recognitions and troupe honors in acting, technical theatre and leadership. Their achievements reflect the strength of secondary fine arts programs and the dedication of their directors, who support students on and off the stage.
Students from Plano Senior High School, Clark High School and Vines High School (Troupe 844) brought 69 attendees to the state festival, including 42 from Plano Senior, 4 from Clark and 23 from Vines. The troupe earned All-Star Troupe Display and Gold Honor Troupe recognition for 2024–2025, highlighting both student involvement and program quality.
Plano Senior, Clark and Vines students participated in 20 individual and group events, with 18 entries from Plano Senior and 2 from Vines. Students advancing to Nationals include:
Summer Andresen (Stage Management)
Robby Coppedge (Contrasting Monologues)
Miles Golembiewski (Short Film)
Connor King (Contrasting Monologues)
Coda McCardel (Solo Musical Theatre)
Heidi Myers (Contrasting Monologues)
Miki Nakamoto and Matilde Rodriguez‑Glass (Duet Musical Theatre)
Kassi Svatek (Solo Musical Theatre)
K. Wheeler (Prop Construction)
State-only event honors for the Central feeder pattern include Best Performer in the Show Works Play Festival for Mikayla Bigelow, a Texas Thespians Scholarship for Heidi Myers, and a Student Leadership Candidate Finalist distinction for Matilde Rodriguez‑Glass. Matilde was one of 12 students in Texas selected to be a Student Ambassador. These recognitions spotlight students’ excellence in performance, scholarship and leadership at the state level.
Plano East Senior High, McMillen High School and Williams High School (Troupe 3436) brought 37 students to the festival, with 32 from Plano East and 5 from McMillen. 11 Plano East students also participated in individual and group events, further extending the feeder pattern’s presence at the competition.
East feeder students advancing to Nationals include:
Addisyn Barron (Plano East, Solo Musical)
Lucy Breedlove (Plano East, Solo Musical)
Briana Palla (Plano East, Solo Musical)
Scene partners Ayan Mishra and Vishi Krishna in Two Person Scene
These national-qualifying performances demonstrate strong vocal, acting and collaborative skills within the Plano East Theatre Program.
Plano West Senior High, Jasper High School and Shepton High School (Troupe 6101) took 70 students to the state festival, including 35 from Plano West, 25 from Jasper and 10 from Shepton. In addition to contest participation, Wolfpack Theatre Company was selected to present its production of “Six the Musical: Teen Edition” as the convention’s Closing Mainstage Performance, a first-time honor for Plano West.
“Six the Musical: Teen Edition” company members received multiple performance awards, including:
Best Performer (Camille Dobrient as Katherine Howard)
Excellent Performer (Addison Rosenthal as Jane Seymour and Graciana Mayne as Anne Boleyn)
Superior Performer (Tadala Kachete as Catherine of Aragon, Catherine Cockrell as Anna of Cleves and Elizabeth Sutherland as Catherine Parr)
Ensemble and technical recognitions included:
Best Ensemble (featuring Noe Eckert, Miley Espinosa, Yael Sarembock, Ellia Godasi and Kayliana Perez)
Best Lighting (Jasper Wolf and John Taylor)
Best Sound (Daniella Rashdi and Shanel Castro‑Valle)
Best Costumes/Hair (Ezra Boaz).
West feeder students advancing to Nationals with perfect scores include:
Jake Kerstine (Solo Musical)
Noe Eckert and Ellia Godasi (Duet Musical)
Additional national qualifiers with overall superior scores include:
Catherine Cockrell (Contrasting Monologues)
Camille Dobrient (Solo Musical)
Shepton students Cassie Falcon and Kassia Maciejewski (both in Solo Musical)
Plano ISD Director of Counseling Services Laura Zimmer celebrated National School Counseling Week and recognized several counselors for their dedication, beginning with the 2025-2026 Counselor of the Year Finalists:
Lauren Toler, Mathews Elementary
Nina Yates, Bowman Middle School
Aimee Edwards, Vines High School
Jennifer Spring, Plano East Senior High
These counselors have had a tremendous impact on students, campuses and our district, and we thank them for their leadership and commitment to student success.
The Lone Star State School Counseling Association (LSSSCA), the Texas affiliate of the American School Counselor Association, sets the standards, ethical guidelines and best practices that guide comprehensive school counseling programs focused on academic achievement, college and career readiness and personal development for all students.
The Lone Star State School Counseling Awards are tiered recognitions aligned with ASCA’s National Model and reflect data-driven, student-centered and sustainable practices. Programs progress through Bronze, Silver and Gold levels, with the highest national recognition being the RAMP designation. Earning these awards requires rigorous documentation, reflection and clear evidence of impact, demonstrating significant dedication and sustained effort.
These achievements also rely on strong partnerships across the campus, particularly between the counseling team and the principal.
Two Plano ISD counseling programs were recognized for earning these awards:
Plano West Senior High School, Bronze Award, recognizing successful implementation of a comprehensive counseling program aligned to state and national standards. Receiving the award were Plano West Counselors Tracy Eubanks, Yahaira Rodriguez, Leigh Ann Field, Linda Taylor and Stacey Jones. Not pictured are Counselors Delinda Dudley, Patricia Capelan, Rhonda Morgan, Ann Eaglin and Jami Emanuel
Aldridge Elementary School, Silver Award, advancing from Bronze last year, reflecting consistent use of data, intentional program planning, and demonstrated impact on student outcomes. Receiving the award was Aldridge Counselor Ngina Hardy.
Together, these recognitions highlight the dedication of our counselors and the collaborative efforts that make a meaningful difference for students every day.