District 11 spotlights seniors, All‑State musicians and art winners at March 4 board meeting

The Colorado Springs School District No. 11 board opened its March 4 meeting with awards and a senior spotlight, honoring students selected for state art and music programs and hearing short presentations from graduating seniors about future plans.

Students honored included Lillian Cohen, who won a Scholastic Art & Writing award for a digital art piece, and several students selected to the Colorado All‑State choir and orchestra. Superintendent Gall and staff described the statewide competitiveness of All‑State auditions and the district’s pride in student musicians and visual artists.

A series of seniors — introduced by college and career access coordinator Michael Robinson — described how district programs prepared them for the next steps. Colin Wolf (Coronado) told the board he’d completed nine AP courses and dual‑enrollment credits and will attend Salisbury University on a football scholarship and study coastal engineering. Jackson Mendenhall (Doherty) called All‑State a “super fun” experience and urged incoming students to take choir. Lucy (Sarai) Ruiz Smith said she plans to attend Colorado School of Mines to study computer science with a focus on hardware engineering. Carissa Rickard, a recipient of a Stamps Scholarship worth about $200,000, said she will attend the University of Oregon to study environmental science.

The board applauded the students and the district’s arts and career‑readiness initiatives. Superintendent Gall noted district programs such as “future centers” and dual‑enrollment opportunities as key supports that help students earn college credit and connect with internships.

The student recognitions were followed by a larger program spotlight and superintendent updates on model classroom visits and ongoing construction projects in the district.