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Cox awards diversity scholarship to Tolleson student

BY ALLISON BROWN

West Valley View Staff Writer

Tolleson’s University High School graduate Kidist Taye was one of 10 Valley students who received a $3,500 diversity scholarship from Cox to go toward college education and future aspirations.

“At Cox, diversity, inclusion and equity are interwoven in our core values and part of what makes our company special. These unique perspectives enable our employees, our customers and our communities to be themselves and connect as part of a thriving culture. These diversity scholarships are a natural extension of how Cox continues to bring us together, and we are very proud of these students,” said Susan Anable, vice president of public and government affairs for the Cox Southwest region.

Cox partnered with local nonprofit organizations including Black organizations, Hispanic organizations, women and the LGBTQ community, to provide a total of $35,000 to minority students. The company had dozens of applications, and more than 50 volunteers of employees and representatives from the nonprofits helped go through the applications. Scholarship recipients were determined based on a scoring rubric provided by the Arizona Community Foundation.

Taye said she learned about the scholarship opportunity through school and found it compelling that Cox was so devoted to diversity. The scholarship was only open to minority students, and Taye is Ethiopian.

“I always knew Cox to be a communication service, something that helps with TV and phones,” Taye said. “When I was reading information about it, especially in the mission statement of the diversity scholarship where they value diversity and inclusion, it was really interesting to see the intersectionality in something that I didn’t know had core values of diversity, inclusion and equity. I just thought that it could help me thrive and that if I won this scholarship, it would be really rewarding.”

To qualify for the scholarship, she also had to be on track for graduation with a minimum grade-point average of 2.5 and be involved in leadership and community service. Already being

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involved in her local church, Taye said she focused on her own leadership there and how she was able to make a difference.

“My church is primarily led in the Amharic language, the primary language of Ethiopia. So, a lot of the younger generation was kind of unaware and distant from the older generation simply because of language barriers,” she said. “We helped establish this youth group for the sake of bridging those language barriers. We led services in English and saw the older generation work alongside the younger generation. It was something that I found very interesting and something I wanted to write about because it just showed how impactful bridging language gaps was within my own community and how we were able to better the South Phoenix community, where my church is located.”

Taye attends Washington University in St. Louis, studying global studies on a pre-law track with the goal of becoming an attorney. She said the scholarship helped her pay for the leftover tuition costs that remained after other scholarships she received, and it was a burden off her shoulders.

“It significantly helped. So, thank you to Cox and the donors. It was a

Kidist Taye graduated from University High School in Tolleson earlier this year and was awarded a $3,500 scholarship from Cox. (Submitted photo) really generous amount, and it really helped further a lot of what I want to do with my career,” Taye said. “I really enjoy seeing problems solved through research and hands-on projects. I hope within my career — as cliche as it sounds — to make some sort of difference within my community and help bridge inequality that may be found within the legal system.”

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21 Trivium Prep FFA members win big

BY IVANNA CHAZARO

Trivium FFA Chapter Reporter

The Great Hearts Trivium Preparatory Academy’s FFA chapter is headed to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis Oct. 27 to Oct. 30 as finalists in public speaking, agriscience, food science and agricultural sales.

The chapter was recognized in multiple categories at the 92nd State Leadership Conference in Tucson earlier this summer. The accolades led to the convention competition.

Fourteen out of 10,000 students were chosen to be State Star Finalists by the Arizona Association FFA. Two of the students from Great Hearts Trivium’s FFA Chapter — sophomore Keston Zimmerman and 2021 graduate Lindsey Bell — earned this honor and were recognized during the general sessions.

Zimmerman was honored as a Star Greenhand finalist, while Bell was recognized as a State Star in Agriscience.

During the state conference, Trivium FFA won state for an Agriscience Fair group project submitted by Bell and Molly Ball, a junior. Junior Tyler Johnson was honored for an individual submission.

Johnson’s research was related to aquaponics absorption, and Ball and Bell’s project was called “High School Diets: Nutritional Education and Analysis.”

Bell was also the champion individual in the State Agricultural Education Career Development event and was elected 2021-22 AZ FFA State Secretary. She is the second state FFA officer from Trivium FFA chapter at Great Hearts Trivium Prep since the school opened.

“I have learned so much about what it means to be a leader,” said Kaden Zimmerman, Trivium FFA president, about his time with the organization.

“I know there are many opportunities in the future in the agriculture industry. I do believe in the FFA vision statement that says, ‘The FFA provides the next generation of leaders who will change the world.’”

Trivium FFA members also placed first in state for two public speaking competitions — junior Tyler Johnson for State Extemporaneous Speaking and sophomore Amaani Singh for State Prepared Public Speaking.

Meghan Wolfley, a freshman Greenhand member, took home the top title for the State Information Contest. For the fifth consecutive year, the Trivium FFA chapter won the State Scrapbook competition. A Greenhand is a first-year member.

Seniors Zimmerman, Thomas Tanzer, Natalie Wolfley and Andres Gallardo placed first in the Agriculture Sales Team category with Zimmerman placing first in the individual competition.

In the agriculture sales contest, students demonstrate skills in sales planning and strategy. They identify and qualify customers, establish rapport, present the features and benefits of a product, overcome objections and attempt to close a sale.

This business-savvy team is ready to engage in the individual sales round in Indianapolis. The Trivium Food Science team — including Gwen Eastburn, Natalie Martinez, Ben Hager and Ethan Bartsch — qualified to competeat the national convention. Bartsch placed first in the individual contest. Hager, a high-placing individual in the national preliminary rounds, will advance to compete in the individual standings in the National FFA Food Science contest in Indiana.

Not only will several members and teams from Trivium FFA compete as national finalists in Indianapolis this fall, alumni member Kailee Zimmerman has been selected to participate as Arizona’s national officer candidate. She will take part in a rigorous interview process during the National FFA Convention in the hopes of being elected as one of six national officers.

Great Hearts’ Trivium FFA chapter, led by Agriscience teacher and FFA advisor Tammie Zimmerman, was awarded the National Gold Chapter Award. Winners at the state level will compete at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis this October.

Great Hearts Trivium Preparatory Academy is part of the network of tuition-free public charter schools of the Great Hearts Academies. The school is located at 2001 N. Bullard Avenue in Goodyear.