It was a great morning at the historic Fifth Street School today. Almost 200 CIS of Nevada staff, community partners, organizations and supporters came together to celebrate the Power Within that helps change the picture of education for the students we serve in Nevada!
Hosted for the third year in a row by Wake Up with the CW and KSNV News 3 anchor Krystal Allan, CIS honored some of the critical people and organizations who make it possible to surround students with a community of support and empower them to stay in school and succeed in life.
This year, CIS of Nevada honored:
CarMax West Sahara – Community Volunteer of the Year (group)
Natalie Manning – Community Volunteer of the Year (individual)
Positively Kids – Community Partner of the Year
Goodie Two Shoes Foundation – Community Partner of the Year
Wynn Resorts – Corporate Partner of the Year
Nevada State Bank – Sustaining Partner of the Year
Dr. Lisa Morris Hibbler – Civic and Public Partner of the Year
CIS of Nevada also gave out their Unsung Hero awards to Noy Thongkham, a CIS of Nevada Site Coordinator at Rancho High School for her numerous contributions to her students and the organization. CIS also recognized Dr. James Kuzma, principal of Rancho High School, which was recently honored as one of the top 10 performing high schools in the state of Nevada by U.S. News & World Report.
The Power Within ceremony would not be complete without the compelling stories of individual students who have found the power within themselves to achieve unparalleled success in the face of great adversity. Courtesy of presenting sponsor Cox Communications, the three students honored gave the audience in attendance a glimpse into their past challenges and great hope in the futures that lie ahead of each of them. The students recognized to have the power within are:
Jessica Guerrero – Lois Craig Elementary School
Jenascia Arnett – West Preparatory Academy
Xavia Jacobs – Sunrise Mountain High School
To view their videos, click this link to our YouTube page.
Thanks to everyone for helping make The Power Within such a success!