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Thomas Jefferson Middle School held its annual awards ceremony on Thursday. The event was created five years ago to celebrate the excellence of their students. Each year teachers select those who have demonstrated outstanding achievements.

"The awards night is the best new event that we hold here throughout the year where we get to recognize the students' accomplishments," Principal Patrick Acosta said.

With a long year of learning and endless possibilities, the year is slowly winding down, Principal Acosta said.

"This is a great way to kick off graduation week."

Students were chosen because of their exemplary behavior and academics. Most of these awards were presented to the eighth-grade students, as they had a longer time to showcase their abilities.

A total of 25 students were acknowledged for their hard work and dedication to their school work. Out of those 25 students, 18 were awarded academic awards. To earn this honor, students must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Students Fabiola Alamitano and Jesus Perez Soto were awarded the Perseverance Award. To obtain this, students must follow the school motto to respect the PAW, which stands for perseverance, attitude and wise choices.

The Cougar of the Year was given to students who showed great behavior and respect for their peers and teachers. Fernando Alamitano and Christina Cedillo were the students who received this award.

Salutatorian and valedictorian placements are based on the student's academics. These students have earned the highest GPAs throughout their sixth, seventh and eighth grades.

The salutatorian was Alejandro Moreno, and the valedictorians were Miguel Gomez and Isaiah Gutierrez.

Valedictorian Miguel Gomez ended the night by encouraging his younger classmates to always do their best and to focus on their school work.