Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Arts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Columbia Heights students honored for All-State band and 2025 Scholastic Arts awards
Summary
A Columbia Heights High School student who performed with the Minnesota Music Educators Association All-State Concert Band and 17 CHHS art students who won 34 Scholastic Art awards were recognized at the Feb. 25 Columbia Heights Public Schools board meeting.
Daniel Ababa, a Columbia Heights High School student, told the Columbia Heights Public Schools board on Feb. 25 that performing with the Minnesota Music Educators Association All-State Concert Band at Orchestra Hall “really felt unreal.”
The board read a Highlander Highlights report celebrating Ababa’s All-State participation and, in the same segment, recognized 17 Columbia Heights High School art students who earned a total of 34 Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention awards in the 2025 Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards (MSAA).
The awards were submitted by CHHS art teachers Michelle Dietz, Sarah Honeywell and Isaac Glidden. Board members described attending recent concerts and school events and praised student discipline and teacher support. School staff noted the awards cover photography, ceramics and glass, drawing and illustration, digital art and painting.
Among the named winners, CHHS senior Daniel Ababa received a Gold Key in photography for a piece titled Triumph; junior Yumna Ali received a Gold Key in ceramics and glass for The Weight of Progress; Dominic Baker (listed as Dominic in the district materials) received a Gold Key in photography for Gatekeeper; and Tamaya Jackson received a Gold Key in painting for Exploration. The district read a long list of silver keys and honorable mentions during the meeting.
Teachers who accepted the recognition told the board the awards reflect sustained classroom work and community support, noting new resources such as a kiln and expanded portfolio (AP) preparation helped students succeed. Boards members said they appreciated the programs’ role in students’ broader academic development.
The board invited students and teachers to remain for the meeting and arranged a photo opportunity following the recognition.
