Travel Tuesday: I Have Over One Million Hotel Points; Now What?
During the pandemic, those of us that collect points and miles continued to do so and at a greater rate since we weren’t redeeming those same points for flights and hotel rooms. As the pandemic seems to be ending, and more opportunities to travel become available every day, I reviewed my balances for all points and miles accounts and discovered I have over one million hotel points across the three major chains. At first that sounds like a huge amount, but not all points are created equal, and these three chains have different redemption rates which undoubtably will go up as there are a LOT of unused points out there in other traveler’s accounts.
My Points Breakdown And The Perceived Value Of Each Program
Hilton Points: 500,000
Marriott Points: 400,000
Hyatt Points: 120,000
First of all, everyone values their own points in different programs a little differently, and some folks like one brand over another, so they tend to collect one brand over another. I like keeping a minimum balance of a certain amount in each of these three programs and it varies by program. I usually like to keep enough points in both Marriott and Hilton programs for longer stays since each of those programs offers a “5th night free” when using points as payment. That amount for Marriott would be around 300,000 points and for Hilton approximately 400,000 points. As most Hyatt hotels range from 15-30,000 points, my minimum for that program is around 70,000 points as there are not as many hotel properties in their program as Marriott and Hilton. Hyatt also does not offer a “5th night free” when paying with points. Overall, Hilton points are perceived to be valued at 6/10ths of a cent, and Marriott points at 8/10ths of a cent. Hyatt points have the highest perceived value commonly being valued at 1.7 cents each or higher. Those values won’t mean anything if you are not able to get the redemption rate you want at the property you prefer. As travel opens back up, the demand for rooms will certainly go up,
The Best Use Of The Points I Have For Marriott
The current amount of points I have on hand could offer fanstastic redemptions at some unbelievable properties such as a JW Marriott hotel on it’s own island off the coast of Venice, Italy. The JW Marriott Venice Resort runs about 70,000 points each night and with that Free 5th night, that could mean a wonderful 5 night stay for a total of 280,000 points. The room rate normally runs over $600 per night so that would make the redemption rate close to 1.1 cents per point, well over it’s perceived value.
Closer to home, Marriott has opened a new hotel near Fort Worth Stockyards. The Hotel Drover is currently only 30,000 points per night to offset the almost $300 room rate. Another great redemption! This point level also qualifies for the Marriott “Free Night Awards” that come with new credit card sign-up offer from Chase.
My Best Use Of Points For Hilton
Collecting Hilton points continues to be my favorite hotel loyalty program, but requires keeping more points on hand to maximize the benefits. I also like to keep these points on hand in case of emergencies for last minute hotel bookings when we find our travel plans change unexpectedly (cancelled flights, etc). Last minute hotel rooms can be very expensive at airports but Hilton always has a property nearby that has moderate point redemption prices.
For big point redemptions, Hilton offers the “5th Night Free” as well, and you are able to leverage your points for longer stays. Hilton redemption rates tend to be more “dynamic” meaning variable and you should check different dates for the same hotel to see if the hotel offers cheaper rates at different times. Sometimes the difference can be tremendous amount of points when a “standard room reward” is not available and the next level is a “premium room reward”. The upcharge between the two rewards could be 50,000 points or more. A close getaway that makes for a good redemption of Hilton points is The Statler Dallas located in downtown Dallas. This vintage hotel was reborn in 2018 but keeps true to it’s mid century heritage in it’s design. I was able to find room redemption rates as low as 56,000 points for a standard room reward. This is also a great redemption for the Amex Hilton Sign-Up bonus. New users of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card can receive 130,000 points by spending $2,000 in the first three months on any purchases. Holding this card will also get you free breakfast at most Hilton properties as well as it will elevate your Hilton Honors account to Gold status.
If I was going to spend most of my points for one big redemption, I would probably choose The Hotel Del Coronado near San Diego for five nights. The standard room redemption rate is 95,000 points to offset the minimum $400 nightly room rate that sometimes swells to over $600 per night. Using the “5th Night Free” would total 380,000 points and could provide a redemption rate of 8/10ths of a cent.
The Best Use Of Hyatt Points
Hyatt points have a much higher perceived value as it takes less points for room redemptions as it does in the other programs. I like to keep Hyatt points on hand for overnight stays at DFW before early flights, as rooms at Hyatt Regency DFW start at only 8,000 points. The Grand Hyatt in the International Terminal (Terminal D) is consistently 20,000 points per night. Utilizing points for either of these hotels saves at least $175 in room charges and provides a convienent location for early flights. On the other end of the spectrum, you can offset a $700 room rate in New York at the Park Hyatt with only 30,000 Hyatt points. Although Hyatt doesn’t offer a fifth night free, a four night trip to NYC would be a great use of 120,000 points with a redemption rate of well over 2 cents per point. You can get enough bonus points for a one night stay in New York (or more than enough for three nights at DFW) by applying for a Chase Hyatt credit card and spending $2,000 in the first three months. To find out out more click here: Chase Hyatt Credit Card.
Final Thoughts
As I review all of my points and miles, I believe that over the rest of the year it will begin to be tougher to find lower redemption rates for all hotel rooms. The best way to combat this is to reserve rooms well in advance at the current redemption rates. Currently, all of the major hotel chains have generous cancellation policies so that you can book a room now using points at the prevailing rates and cancel later if your plans don’t materialize. As things begin to open up, demand for rooms will certainly rise and a million hotel points may be worth less than they were before.
Wildcats 7 on 7 Football Team Takes on Lindale and Gilmer Here Tuesday Evening
The Wildcats 7 on 7 Football Team will face some quality opponents at home Tuesday evening (May 18) as Lindale and Gilmer come to town.
Games are scheduled to get underway at 5:30 p.m. If the weather cooperates, competition will be at Gerald Prim Stadium.
If rain is a problem, the games will move to the Multiple Purpose Building. Each school will have two teams.
Both Lindale and Gilmer played very deep into the playoffs this past season.
Wildcats Offensive Coordinator Matt Young said about 60 Wildcats should get a chance to play. The Wildcats feature quarterbacks Matthew Mitchell and Brady Driver.
Returning receivers for the Wildcats include Weston Fields, Carson Fenton, leading receiver C.J. Williams, Cable Glenn and Matthew Sherman.
Coach Young also mentioned Reed Williams, Colt Silman and Colby Albritton. He said each game Tuesday will last 30 minutes with no half time adding there would only be 5 minutes between games.
The Wildcats #1 and #2 teams will play Lindale and Gilmer once. After scores, teams can choose to go for 2 points. An interception is worth 3 points.
Coach Young said everything should be wrapped up by around 7 p.m.
This is the second competition session for the high school Wildcats. Several weeks ago in early May, the Wildcats got a win over Commerce and took a loss against Paris on a score on the last play of the game.
The competition Tuesday will help prepare the Wildcats for a State Qualifier Tournament early Saturday at Grapevine. The Wildcats will take on Princeton, Frisco Wakeland and Grapevine.
Coach Young said 7 on 7 for Middle School 8th grade and 7th grade teams ended with a competition Saturday at Grand Saline. He said the 8th grade Wildcats went 1-2.
There were two 7th grade teams and one won the consolation bracket while another placed 4th. Coach Young said 7 on 7 for 6th graders took place earlier this year.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Johnson, Wade Top 2021 Sulphur Bluff Honor Graduates
Shane Johnson and Jada Wade have been announced as the top 2021 Sulphur Bluff honor graduates.
Valedictorian Shane Johnson, son of Micah and Melissa Johnson of Nelta, will graduate from Sulphur Bluff High School this Friday with a 3.989 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. He has received all of his formative education at Sulphur Bluff ISD, beginning in prekindergarten.
Upon being named the highest ranking student in his senior class, Johnson said he is “happy that my studying and reading paid off.”
His advice to other students who are also striving to be successful in school is to “study to better yourself, so that you can help other people.”
In addition to maintaining a high GPA, Johnson has also been active in various extracurricular activities.
He played basketball, baseball, track, golf, and cross country during his years at SBISD. His involvement in extracurriculars has also included participation in the school’s FFA chapter and BETA club, and he competed in academic UIL as well.
Johnson’s hobbies and interests also include playing sports with his friends, working out, reading and playing video games.
He credits has mom and dad as his biggest inspirations, for always pushing him to better himself and learn.
The SBHS 2021 valedictorian’s plans include attending Texas A&M University-Commerce, where he will begin working this fall to acquire a degree in finance
Johnson has been admitted to the TAMUC Honors College which include a scholarship to offset tuition, fees, housing, many meals, and books. Students accepted into the Honors College are required to complete at least 15 hours per semester toward a degree, living in Honors housing, a minimum of 30 hours of honors course credits before graduation, completion of an approved capstone experience (honors thesis, study abroad, internship)To be in good standing, maintaining a 3.3 CPA or higher and complete 96 hours of community service during their time at TAMUC.
Salutatorian Jada Wade, daughter of Jerry Wade of Dike and Leticia Wade of Sulphur Springs, will graduate May 21 with a 4.87 weighted grade point average. She has attended SBISD since kindergarten.
Wade said she is “beyond blessed and honored to be named the salutatorian of my graduating class. All of my hard work throughout the years has paid off!”
Her advice to others students who are striving to be successful in school is to study and not be afraid to ask questions.
‘Start early, every grade is important. Take every opportunity you get, get involved. Have your reason for everything you do. Stay dedicated to your goals, dream big and no matter what never give up!” Wade said.
She has been very active in campus life during her time at SBISD, participating and earning honors in a number of sports, organizations and academic competitions.
Wade has been involved in FCCLA, serving as an officer for two years and president of the organization for one year. She earned second place honors in the STAR event professional presentation at the regional FCCLA competition.
She too was active in FFA, Beta Club, Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class.
In academic UIL competitions, she was a regional qualifier in poetry for two years of her high school career at SBHS.
The 2021 salutatorian has also achieved accolades for having the highest average in multiple classes during her years at The Bluff.
Wade participated in four sports – volleyball, basketball, track and cross country – earning recognition for her efforts in three of the four sports.
In basketball, she was named Academic All-District all four years of high school, First Team All District her junior and senior years, and was named Basketball MVP. In volleyball, she received Academic All-District honors three of her four years at SBHS. She too was named Track and Field MVP.
In addition to her school activities, Wade also works at Brookshire’s in Sulphur Spring, enjoys singing, reading a good book and spending time with her family and friends.
“My dad is one of my role models. He has always encouraged me to work hard for everything I have and he has encouraged me to trust God all of the way through,” Wade noted, adding, “Every encounter I have made has helped shape me into who I am today!”
The second ranked SBHS honor graduate said she plans to attend Paris Junior College in the fall, then College of the Ozarks in the spring. She is a 2021 Bright Star Scholarship recipient.
“My future plans and career choice are to earn my Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and to become a full time nurse. I have chosen this career path because I have always had this deep-seated desire to care for and help others. I am beyond excited to start the process of earning this rewarding job of becoming a nurse,” Wade said.
Johnson and Wade will be honored along with the other members of the SBHS Senior Class of 2021 at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 21, 2021, in the new gym at the school.
Texas Ranger Ticket Giveaway #7
KSST has Texas Ranger Baseball tickets available for the Sunday May 23th, 2021 game against the Astros. 1:35 first pitch.
This years tickets will be offered in a digital format. To be a winner, you will need to download and install the Offical MLB Ball Park App for your smart device. Think of the app as a digital wallet for your tickets.
How to Win
Like KSST and this post on Facebook to enter. Winners will be chosen at random. Remember, you will need to provide a valid email address, and that email must be linked to your MLB Ballpark app.
The Process
Once you win, KSST will forward the digital ticket information to your email. Your MLB Ballpark app will accept the ticket information and store them until you need them. You will need to take your device to the ballpark to display the QR code at the gate. Get all the details at MLB.COM
Just to be clear, KSST and KRVA did not receive paper tickets, so we can not furnish paper tickets to our winners.
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital To Hold Walk-In COVID Vaccine Clinic May 19
Hospital, Cody Drug, Many Local Pharmacies Now Offering Pfizer Vaccines For Ages 12 And Up
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs will hold a Walk-In Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic in the front lobby (accessible from the main entrance) Wednesday for individuals who have yet to receive even one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The first dose of the vaccine will be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 19. Those receiving the vaccine on that date must be available to return on Wednesday, June 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon to receive the second dose, required to become fully vaccinated for the novel coronavirus 2019.
The hospital, like Cody Drug and most other local pharmacies that have received doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, is now offering the Pfizer vaccine to another segment of the population – younger adolescents.
The Food and Drug Administration last Monday, May 10, authorized vaccine providers to begin administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to adolescents ages 12 to 15 years. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on May 12 recommended Pfizer vaccine for that age group as well. Texas Department of State Health Services also May 12 authorized Texas providers to begin administering to youth ages 12-15, in line with the federal guidance.
“While children are less likely than adults to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19, they can be infected with the virus and spread infection in their homes and communities,” Imelda Garcia, Texas Department of State Health Services associate commissioner for laboratory and infectious disease services and chair of the state’s Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel, stated in a May 12 letter from DSHS to vaccine providers. “DSHS believes that promptly vaccinating the adolescents in this age group is another valuable tool that will help end the COVID-19 pandemic and have a direct and positive effect on schools being open for classroom learning.”
Parental consent is required for the vaccination of adolescents in this age group. Consent may be given orally or in writing; the parent or guardian does not need to be present for the adolescent to be vaccinated, unless required by the vaccine provider, according to DSHS.
Currently, only the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for people ages 12 to 17, and it is the same vaccine widely available across the state for use in adults. Youth and parents should contact providers in their area to ensure they are offering the Pfizer vaccine before making an appointment or attending a walk-up vaccine clinic. Tools for locating vaccine providers are available at covidvaccine.texas.gov or vacunacovid.texas.gov.
CMFH-SS CEO Paul Harvey on May 13 confirmed that the hospital will offer the vaccine for ages 12 and up at the May 19 walk-in clinic. As the event suggests, those wishing to received the vaccine need only walk in between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. May 19 to receive the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Texas had administered nearly 20.57 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 11. 9 million people (counting fully vaccinated and individuals who’ve received only one vaccine dose) as of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, May 16, 2021. About 52 percent of all Texas residents age 16 years and older had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 40 percent were fully vaccinated as of May 12. By Sunday, May 16, 9.4 million Texans had been fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
In Hopkins County, 17,352 of the doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered – 9,849 people who had received at least one dose and 8,220 people had been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 as of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, May 16, according to DSHS’s Vaccine Data dashboard.
While COVID-19 cases have decreased significantly across the county, region and state since COVID-19 vaccines first became available in December, the virus as not been completely irradiated in either Texas or Hopkins County. New cases are still being diagnosed regularly and deaths are still occurring as a result of COVID-19. Across the state, 318 new confirmed and 175 probable COVID-19 cases, and 23 new fatalities were reported at 3:20 p.m. May 17, 2021. In Hopkins County, new COVID-19 cases are being confirmed on average no less than 5 out of every 7 days so far this month.
So far this month, Hopkins County has had a total of 43 new COVID-19 cases, which includes 27 confirmed cases and 16 probable cases. A total of 2,975 of the cumulative 3,119 Hopkins County residents who have had COVID-19 were reported to have recovered from the virus as of 3 p.m. Monday, May 17, 2021. That’s 12 more confirmed COVID-19 cases reported for Hopkins County during the first 17 days of May than from April 1-17, 2021, and 10 more cases than during the entire month of May 2020. That’s also five more probable cases reported so far this month than during the first 17 days of April.
One Hopkins County resident is reported to have died this month from COVID-19, increasing the total number of Hopkins County COVID-19 fatalities since March of 2020 to 110; the latest COVID-19 death is reported to have occurred on May 6. Two COVID-19 fatalities were reported for Hopkins County in April 2021, one each on April 1 and April 13.
That left 34 active COVID-19 cases among Hopkins County residents as of 3 p.m. Monday, May 17, 2021, which is six more active cases than were reported to DSHS on May 1, according to the DSHS Case Counts and Additional Information dashboards.
In order to prevent the COVID-19 case counts from continuing to rise and potentially result in additional deaths, especially in high risk individuals, all eligible populations are encouraged by DSHS and the CDC to get the vaccine.
Nutritional Challenges for Cattle Under Wet Conditions, by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas
Nutrition and herd health are likely to be the production areas most impacted by excessive rainfall.
Reports from producers indicate that body conditions scores of breeding herds and average daily gains of stocker calves have been lower than expected in many cases, despite providing access to forage and feed that might produce acceptable gains in most years.
High moisture levels in pasture plants result in less dry matter consumed for a given quantity of forage. In addition, the nutritional value or quality of warm-season forages tends to drop this time of year.
In the event that temperatures become cold during wet conditions, cattle maintenance energy requirements increase as well.
Some cattle may not consume enough dry matter to meet intake and nutrient demands. This can occur on pastures with what appears to be “plenty of forage” available for cattle.
It may at first seem counterintuitive to put out hay on pasture with apparent adequate available forage. However, providing hay to these cattle can improve dry matter intake. Hay will also decrease the rate of gut passage, allowing cattle to perform better on pasture.
Some producers may balk at putting out hay this early in the winter feeding season because of limited inventories and concerns about having enough hay to make it through the winter.
Yet, by not meeting cattle intake and nutrient needs, producers will face even greater challenges later.
Cows will calve in poor body condition, will not rebreed on time, and calves will not meet weight gain targets. In addition to the effects of wet weather on nutrient availability, mud can affect feeding behavior.
Muddy areas create a suction effect on the legs and hooves of cattle. This makes it hard for cattle to move around feeders, and they stand still instead.
Four to 8 inches of mud can decrease intake by 4 to 8% and slow gains by 14%. Belly-deep mud can reduce intake by 30%.
It is extremely important to control mud accumulation so that it does not affect feeding behavior.
It may also be tempting to skip feedings during rainy days or because of challenges with muddy feed storage and feeding areas.
For cattle on limit-fed rations, where they are hand fed daily, skipping feedings could lead to digestive upset when feeds are reintroduced to cattle.
Skipped feedings also mean less total intake of these rations over time, which will lower performance.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
Texas Ranger Ticket Giveaway #6
KSST has Texas Ranger Baseball tickets available for the Saturday May 22th, 2021 game against the Astros. 3:05 first pitch.
This years tickets will be offered in a digital format. To be a winner, you will need to download and install the Offical MLB Ball Park App for your smart device. Think of the app as a digital wallet for your tickets.
How to Win
Like KSST and this post on Facebook to enter. Winners will be chosen at random. Remember, you will need to provide a valid email address, and that email must be linked to your MLB Ballpark app.
The Process
Once you win, KSST will forward the digital ticket information to your email. Your MLB Ballpark app will accept the ticket information and store them until you need them. You will need to take your device to the ballpark to display the QR code at the gate. Get all the details at MLB.COM
Just to be clear, KSST and KRVA did not receive paper tickets, so we can not furnish paper tickets to our winners.
Osornio, Krotky Named Top Graduates of Cumby High School Class of 2021
Cumby High School announced Lucero Ruth Osornio and Rylee Jo Krotky as the top 2021 graduates, with only 0.01 separating the top two places. Each of the top CHS 2021 honor graduates has also received her associate’s degree three weeks before she will receive her high school diploma.
Lucero Ruth Osornio
Lucero Ruth Osornio, daughter of Ruth and Jose Osornio, earned top ranking as this year’s Cumby High School Class of 2021 valedictorian both at the May school board meeting and during the annual Academic/Athletic Awards program Monday evening. She has attended Cumby ISD since pre-kindergarten and graduates with a a 4.18 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
Although Osornio has been involved with Beta Club and active in FFA, she has focused more on her academics than extracurricular activities at school. While she used to be in sports, half-way through her freshman year she decided to dedicate her focus during high school toward academics.
“I had my mind set on what I was going to do and sports just wasn’t going to fit into it,” Osornio said.
Her favorite classes at CISD have been math classes; she said she really enjoys the structure and organization of math as opposed to English which has so many different ways to answer written questions.
She began taking college courses her sophomore year, and was among a six Cumby seniors who graduated from Paris Junior College with an associate’s degree earlier this month. Osornio receive her associate’s in biology.
“What we had set for high school was to do a general studies program, but personally I knew that going into the medical field I was going to need different classes that had to do with veterinary medicine. So, I started to do classes that were in the biology field. I’ve taken chemistry and I’ve taken both semesters of biology on campus. I know we’ve taken other difficult classes. I’ve taken pre-cal, algebra, physics,” Osornio explained. “We didn’t have to take anything particular to our degree in high school. It was just a matter of what classes you’ll still have to take once you graduate.”
The CHS valedictorian said saying aloud that she already has an associate’s degree before she graduates, feels and sounds strange. However, knowing that she’s already that far ahead of other graduating seniors who don’t have a program at their school which allows them to pursue an associate’s along with their high school diploma is also exciting. While college classes are more challenging, taking them in high school has helped to calm nerves regarding the degree of difficulty. It shows high school students they can succeed in college classes
Osornio’s advice to other students who are hoping to achieve academic success in school is to focus more on the bigger picture, the future, than their immediate social and personal circumstances.
“One mistake I think people make is trying to be too involved in the social life around them. I think they should really focus on their future,” the 2021 Cumby High School valedictorian recommends. “I’m not saying to cut everything else out, but to make sure you have your priorities straight, focus on what’s important for you.”
Her junior year, Osornio began an internship at a Greenville veterinary clinic, and since then has been hired, and thus is now working in a paid internship. She works every day except Wednesday, and every other weekend. She’s logged about 500 hours altogether at the clinic, a step closer toward her goal of one day becoming a veterinarian herself. Working at the veterinary clinic for almost 2 years has strengthened her desire for the field and resolve to become a veterinarian herself.
She said she’s currently working toward attaining her CVA1 certification, for which she has completed all of her lessons and is now waiting on the vet to administer her final.
“I’ve always loved animals, ever since I was little. I’ve never been afraid of them. I just felt comfortable around them personally. I guess you could say I’m not a very social person, so I’ve always found comfort in the company of animals,” Osornio said.
While she didn’t bring home every stray she encountered, those that have made their way to her house in the country have been fed and eventually became family pets. She said current there are three dogs, a horse, a cat and approximately 30 cows at her house.
Osornio plans to attend Texas A&M University-Commerce, where she will take part in the pre-veterinary program for two years and attain her bachelor’s degree. She considered applying to the honors college, which include extra commitments. She knows she’ll have to carry a full load of courses on her transcript, which has to look good when she applies to transfer to Texas A&M University-College Station, where she hopes to spend four additional years in veterinary school. She also is looking to retain her current employment for the Greenville vets while attending TAMUC, which is only a 15-20 minute drive from home.
The two doctors she works with encourage her to stay the course. While six years may seem like a long time to continue her studies, they assure her that they will fly by if she stays focused on her studies. At this time, she’s not sure where opportunities will take her, but has been offered employment in Greenville with the veterinarians she’s been assisting for the past 2 years if she chooses to return to the area.
When asked if she has a preference or plans to specialize in larger or small animals, Osornio said she would like to work with both. She’s looked into some global rescue programs that help wildlife and rescue endangered species and is exploring the possibility of incorporating that into her future plans.
The CHS Class of 2021 valedictorian said initially, she’d planned to attend a college further from home, but opted for the more economically sound choice to remain in Cumby and attend TAMUC. She’ll save on housing and related costs, leaving the cost of tuition, books and necessities for the next couple of years while enrolled in the pre-vet program at the Commerce university.
“I am excited to finally go to vet school, but just the thought of having to manage everything on my own – I’m ready for the experience to be on your own and truly make your own decisions – to adult on your own,” she said, but offered appreciation to the school. “Personally, I appreciate the fact that it’s a very small school so basically, it’s like a family.”
Osornio said that while the thought of going to a bigger school makes her a bit nervous, she benefitted from the biology and chemistry classes she took on campus. They helped to alleviate one of her biggest fears about attending college at a bigger and different campus. Her fear of not making friends at college was dispelled almost immediately. She got to know the people in her study and lab groups during classes and has stayed in contact with them. She thought it’d be harder to make friends on a larger campus where she doesn’t know anyone, but found it was actually easier to relate to people with similar interests who are “in the same boat.”
She said her mom, Ruth Osornio, is one of her biggest inspirations. While academics weren’t Ruth’s passion, she attend college for a short time but did not attain a degree, opting instead to marry and raise a family, she has always been very supportive of Lucero, encouraging her to keep her grades up as she pursues her academic goals.
“I appreciate that she understands my priorities even if they they may not have been hers at the same age,” Lucero said, noting that it’s her mom’s attitude toward others which she admires most. “She just has a lot of patience and is super kind to everyone. That’s something that I probably need to work on a little bit too.”
Rylee Jo Krotky
Rylee Jo Krotky, daughter of Mark and Marsha Krotky, was announced at the May 6 school board meeting and honored at the May 17, 2021, Cumby High School Academic/Athletic Awards program as the CHS Class of 2021 salutatorian. She has attended Cumby ISD since kindergarten and will graduate on June 4 with a 4.17 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
Krotky has been very involved in athletics during high school, as a member of the school volleyball, basketball, softball, track, cross country and powerlifting teams. She served as a captain of the volleyball and basketball teams, but notes her favorite has been volleyball. She says while she might play intramural or rec volleyball later on, she does not currently plan on playing for a college team.
Her dedication to sports has resulted in Krotky earning several honors for her abilities and contributions to the team. In volleyball she was named Libero MVP for the district as well as 1st Team in volleyball, is the school’s Offensive MVP and received 1st Team recognition in basketball, and 2nd Team in softball,
She serves as president of the Cumby chapters of the National Honor Society and Beta Clubs, vice president of Student Council, and is a FCA leader.
Her favorite classes have been math and English. Krotky loves writing letters because they allow her to express herself, something she does better written than aloud.
“Being top of my class with all of that going on is probably a big accomplishment for me,” Krotky said.
She follows in her mom’s footsteps in her academic achievements; Marsha Krotky was valedictorian of her class as well. Rylee will be the first Krotky on her dad’s side of the family to be at the top of her class.
“I think my mom is my biggest drive or inspiration. She’s just overall a great woman. She’s vice president of our school board and she’s involved in church. She’s a leader in the children’s ministry. She does it all. She’s just such an inspiration and I want to be like her,” the 2021 Cumby High School salutatorian said.
Her advice for other students hoping to be successful in high school is to work hard.
“Hard work always pays off. You can be involved just like I am in so many things and still do good in the academic area, I just think if you put your mind to it, it’s all about effort. I know so many people under me in rank that are so much smarter than me, but didn’t put in the effort. I put in the effort, and here I am sitting at number 2 ,” Krotky said.
She said she’s not 100 percent certain, but she’s currently leaning toward a career as a dental hygienist. Krotky is planning to complete a dental internship this summer, to try it out. Her current plans are to attend Texas A&M University-Commerce this summer and fall to get the necessary prerequisite courses out of the way, the apply to Collin College dental program. The school only accepts 20 people a year into the program. If she’s accepted, she’ll work for the next two years toward certification as a dental hygienist. She then anticipates applying at Complete Dental for a full-time position.
Krotky also is one of the six Cumby seniors who already have a head start on college, each graduating this month from Paris Junior College. Krotky received an associate’s in general studies.
“At the time I picked mine, general studies, I didn’t know what I wanted to do so I thought general studies was the best option for me at the time. So, if I could go back and I knew I wanted to be dentist, I would go more towards that path,” the 2021 CHS salutatorian said.
Attaining an associates is a good feeling, Krotky said. It makes her feel two steps ahead of other graduating seniors. Know she will already be a college junior when she graduates high school is very exciting.
She said she is interested in the medical field, but doesn’t feel nursing would be a good fit as needles and lots of blood aren’t things she feels comfortable with. She decided to “pick something and go with it,” and if she doesn’t like it, she can always change directions.
“The mouth doesn’t bother me that much, so I think I could do that,” Krotky said.
While looking forward to beginning a new chapter of life at TAMUC, Krotky’s feelings about graduation and life away from Cumby ISD are bittersweet.
“I’m going to miss the people. I’m going to miss our close friendships that we have here, but I think it’s going to be a good experience to get out and see what the real world’s all about,” the CHS salutatorian said.
Saltillo Lady Lions Softball Team Falls Short In Regional Semifinal
The Saltillo Lady Lions softball team gave up late runs that proved too much to handle, losing to Bloomburg 3-1 on Friday, May 14 to conclude their season.
The two teams looked to be involved in a pitchers duel, as through five innings, both teams had only accumulated 4 hits combined.
That changed in the top of the sixth, when with two outs, two Bloomburg batters got timely singles, the second of which crossed home to break the 0-0 tie for a 1-0 lead for the Lady Cats.
Saltillo was able to get a single from starting P Chandler Bain, and Ryleigh Redar grounded out to the Lady Cat second baseman which gave Bain enough time to cross home and even the score at 1-all in the bottom of the sixth.
Unfortunately for the Lady Lions, Bloomburg struck again in their next at-bat, thanks to two singles, two doubles, and a fly out which turned in to a 3-1 lead for the Lady Cats in the top of the seventh.
With their season on the line in the one-and-done game, Saltillo was able to get a single from lead-off batter in the bottom of the seventh Maddy Smith, the Lady Lions was picked off at second from a fielders choice to make it two outs.
While the next Saltillo batter Ofelia Cabrera was walked, Chandler Morris was struck out to end the game and end the season for the Lady Lions in a 3-1 loss in the 1A Region 3 Regional Semifinals of softball.
Chandler Bain got the loss, but had a solid outing before Bloomburg was able to pull the game out in the top of the seventh. Bain pitched a complete 7 inning game, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits. Bain struck out three Lady Cat batters and walked two.
In hitting, Bain was 1 for 3 with a run and a walk. Both Julianna Giles and Ryleigh Redar were 0 for 3, but Redar was able to get an RBI. Paisley Kastner fared a bit better at 1 for 3. Maddy Smith was 1 for 1 and was walked once. Ofelia Cabrera went 0 for 2 behind the plate. Regan Speir, Gabby Ross, and Chandler Morris all went 0 for 3 on the evening.
While it was a tough way to end the season, it was an impressive run nonetheless.
Saltillo’s season record finishes at 8-6 overall (6-0 district). The Lady Lions were 17-1A District Champions and beat Avery in Bi-District 19-6 and Union Hill 1-0 in the Regional Quarterfinal before falling in the Regional Semifinals to Bloomburg.
SSHS Switching Up Senior Activities A Little Bit This Year
Sulphur Springs High School will be switching up senior activities a little bit this year, according to one school counselor.
The 12th graders ranked in the top 10 percent of their graduating class will still be honored this year with a special breakfast starting at 7 a.m. Thursday, May 20, with interior design and culinary arts students reported to be collaborating to ready the facility for the event. So, this could look a bit different.
Later in the day, seniors will be celebrated with a senior walk and assembly. Seniors will walk the halls in their caps and gowns, then will be celebrated by family and friends; this is expected to occur around 3 p.m. They will then proceed to the Civic Center Exhibit Hall for a “signing” time, where students will look for banners for designating the school, work force area or military that factor into their future plans following high school graduation.
From there, senior activities continue with an assembly at the Civic Center. Due to a scheduling conflict, however, this year’s senior awards program will begin at 4:30 p.m. May 20, instead of later in the evening.
The annual senior Shut Out will follow on Friday, May 21; students are to wear their senior shirts.
SSHS Graduation is slated to be held Friday evening, May 28, at Gerald Prim Stadium.
