Mykella Jones named Special Ed Student of the Year
Mykella, who is profoundly deaf, is in the International Baccalaureate program at Westwood High. Ranked fifth in the senior class, Mykella has netted $236,500 in scholarship offers.
Awards ceremony video
List of all award winners
Mykella Jones is the 2012 MPS Special Education Student of the Year.
Mykella is self-motivated and tenacious. Her hearing impairment doesn't define her. And it doesn't affect her academic success.
Mykella and her teachers arrange for appropriate seating and visual cues to facilitate her participation in classroom activities.
Mykella has had to work harder than most students to attain an extremely high level of academic achievement in Westwood High's International Baccalaureate program. In addition to her studies, Mykella's interests include badminton and church activities.
Mykella ranks fifth in her senior class. With $236,500 in scholarship offers from a variety of colleges, Mykella plans to pursue an engineering degree at the University of Arizona.
Nancy Rogers, the special education teacher who nominated Mykella, wrote, “She is truly one of the most self-directed students I have had the privilege of working with in my 26 years of teaching.” Mykella is an inspiration to many other students as she proves that, with hard work and determination, anyone can achieve whatever they want whether they have a disability or not.
In the annual Exceptional Student Services Awards program, MPS honors special education students for outstanding achievement. MPS also honors students, teachers, support staff, principals and businesses for exemplary service on behalf of students with disabilities.