Grand County High School’s students of the month for April are Adrian “Adri” Ovando and D.J. Thayer!
Adri Ovando, the daughter of Herendira Ovando, is a senior at Grand County High School. Her favorite class is math and she enjoys participating in the National Honor Society.
GCHS faculty and staff agree that Adri is an enthusiastic student who shows excitement about every single activity assigned in her classes.
“Adri is overjoyed whenever she learns new vocabulary or when she excels in our spelling tests,” said Gerlit Buffington, Adri’s English teacher. “If she is reading a book, she tries to get more details about the author or other details mentioned in the book. She clearly values education and knowledge.”
After high school, Adri plans to continue her studies by attending college in Salt Lake.
D.J. Thayer is the son of Amanda Eshbaugh and Kevin Brydie. He is a junior at GCHS where he has perfect attendance for three years running. He enjoys cross-country, having been on the varsity team since his freshman year. He also enjoys being a part of the soccer and track teams. Outside of school, D.J. works at Exxon/7-11 where he enjoys unloading the truck.
D.J. has an open mind and enjoys his classes, particularly English, math, and 3D graphics.
Teddy Anderson, D.J.’s math teacher, remembers D.J. as a model student during online classes.
“He always had a kind word to say to others. He made our online class feel like a real-live class during the difficult first trimester of COVID teaching,” said Anderson.
“Now that I have DJ in my in-person class, I have seen what a truly special kid he is,” said Anderson. “He is enthusiastic about everything school related, never plays it cool about anything, accepts his defeats and celebrates his victories, and most importantly, is unfailingly kind to others, even when they are not being kind. He is truly a remarkable kid.”
D.J. is most challenged by medical terminology, but said he appreciates that Ms. Carling takes the time to make the class enjoyable.
D.J.’s plans for after high school include taking his general education classes at Utah State University, then transferring to a college in either Colorado or South Carolina to obtain a degree in physical education.
D.J.’s advice for his fellow high school students is: “Don’t let anybody tell you, you can’t be who you want to be. Always shoot for the stars and always, always pay it forward with a smile and kindness.”
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