Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 5-17-19

Feature
Grad Is First Black IB Valedictorian At Hillsborough High
County Commissioners Honor Student Athletes
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commis- sioners recognized three out- standing student-athletes with the Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award and two Honorable Mentions during the Board of County Commis- sioners meeting.
The Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award honors a high school baseball player or team in Hillsborough County who displays out- standing athletic, scholastic, and community achieve- ments.
The 2019 Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award winner is Christian Suarez, a pitcher from Leto High School. A senior, Suarez is 19-3, with over 150 strikeouts, the last two sea- sons combined.
This year, he has 8 wins and just 3 losses, with 80 strikeouts in 62.1 innings, and an earned run average of 1.24. Suarez has been named an All-Western Con- ference pitcher and All 813- Preps County Pitcher. Suarez has a 6.67 grade- point average, and has earned an associate’s degree from Hillsborough Community College through his participa- tion in Leto’s Collegiate Acad-
emy.
Suarez, who has per-
formed well over 100 com- munity service hours in multiple areas, will continue his education and baseball career at Stetson University in Deland.
Cade Shissler, an in- fielder from Plant City High School, and Brennan Hyde, also an infielder, from Chamberlain High School, re- ceived Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award Honor- able Mentions.
Shissler, a senior who was awarded a baseball schol- arship by Stetson University, is hitting .326, with 28 hits, 4 home runs, 12 runs batted in, 25 runs scored, and an on- base percentage of .427.
He has a GPA of 6.19, and will graduate with honors. He and Suarez plan to be room- mates at Stetson.
Hyde, a junior infielder, is a defensive standout who hit .390 in the fall. He missed most of the season after hav- ing Tommy John surgery, but remained a leader of the team, and returned to action late in the season, hitting well over .400. Hyde’s GPA of 5.01 is the highest in the Chamberlain baseball pro- gram in 10 years.
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
When Lazlo Nziga entered the 9th grade at Hillsborough High School, her goal was simply to do her best. However, a singular in- cident changed her goal and made her decide to reach higher.
There had never been a Black student to earn the rank of Valedictorian in the Interna- tional Baccalaureate Program at Hillsbor- ough High School. In 2018, Errdaisha Floyd came close. She was the Salutatorian at the school.
“In the beginning, I just wanted to main- tain my GPA. At the end of my sophomore year, I tied with two others for the highest grade point average. Errdaisha came close, but fell a little bit short. So, I decided that I would try to earn that title.
“Errdaisha was my mentor at Hillsbor- ough. We stay in touch and she is at Colum- bia University,” she said.
Currently, Lazlo has a weighted grade point average of 7.54. She is ranked #1 out of a class of 85 students in the International Baccalaureate Program at the school. She was the Lady Terriers Basketball Captain; a member of the French Honor Society; Honor Council; National AP Scholar; and AP Scholar with Distinction, among other ac- complishments. She also enjoys reading and playing the piano.
The 17-year-old future physician further said, “I’m glad I have been able to become the Valedictorian at Hillsborough so that I can become my own hero and be a hero to other
LAZLO NZIGA Valedictorian International Baccalaureate Program at Hillsborough High School
African American girls behind me.”
Lazlo gives credit for her success so far to God and she thanks her family for their love
and support.
After graduation, Lazlo will attend
Princeton University, the first stop in her goal of becoming a Pediatrician.
Lazlo is the daughter of Jean-Pierre and Yolande Nziga. She also has a younger
brother.
A native of Houston, she
attended the public schools of Hillsborough County. The family attends Grace Family Church.
PAGE 8-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019