EDUCATION NEWS
George E. Moore joins ranks of Twin Cities’ most distinguished
HONORS
University of Texas at Tyler announces its President’s Honor Roll and Dean’s List for fall 2023. Area students include:
President’s List
Madison Ryan of Bivins, Texas Aliyah Cherry of Clarksville, Texas Tiffany Stringham of Cookville, Texas
Ella Johnson of Detroit, Texas Mallorie Whisenhunt of Hooks, Texas
Ryan Daugherty of Mount Pleasant, Texas
Jenifer Deciga of Mount Pleasant, Texas
Stacey Henderson of Mount Pleasant, Texas
Jennifer Rosiles-cervantes of Mount Pleasant, Texas
Caroline Baker-francis of Texarkana, Texas
Alex Spillers of Texarkana, Texas
Dean’s List
Kassidy Gennings of Atlanta, Texas
Cash Wilton of Daingerfield, Texas
Rebecca Kathleen Webb of Foreman, Arkansas
Leslie Lara of Mount Pleasant, Texas
Daisy Vazquez of Mount Pleasant, Texas
Adam Bowen of Queen City, Texas
Faith Cowley of Simms, Texas Evelyn Hartline of Texarkana, Texas
University of Mississippi announces its Chancellor’s Honor Roll and Dean’s Honor Roll for fall 2023. Area students include: Chancellor’s Honor Roll Nicholas Mitchell, of Texarkana, Texas
Jackson Cheney, of Texarkana,
Texas
Aubrey Matheson, of Winthrop, Arkansas
Bekah Price, of Mount Pleasant, Texas
Rebekah Anderson, of Texarkana, Texas
Sydni Davis, of Atlanta, Texas Lilly Pace, of Texarkana, Texas Lydia Horton, of Texarkana, Texas
Dean’s Honor Roll
Zachary Milam of Mount Pleasant, Texas
Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi, announces its President’s List for fall 2023.
Area students include:
Delia Tuttlebee of Texarkana
Southern Arkansas University announces its President’s List and Dean’s List for fall 2023. Area students include:
President’s List
Zy’mesha Zyvon Lee of Hope, Arkansas.
Caleb Peyton Castle of Texarkana, Texas.
Darrel Allan East of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Macaira Augustine Patterson of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Haylie Sharon Tipton of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Megan Faith Milloway of Linden, Texas.
Josie Wain Burke of De Queen, Arkansas.
Logan Reid Pierson of Stamps, Arkansas.
Emily Grace Fenton of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Kerry Shyann Harvin of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Colby Kade Thompson of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Mason Rayne Mcneely of Jefferson, Texas.
Ann-marie Belle Ison of Rosston,
Arkansas.
Jordyn Marie Standley of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Lacorius Kevon Earley of Bradley, Arkansas.
Eduardo Trejo of De Queen, Arkansas.
Kimberly Nicole Richardson of Foreman, Arkansas.
James Colton Hewitt of Fouke, Arkansas.
Libby Claire Tyson of Hope, Arkansas.
Monica Renee Jefferson of Nashville, Arkansas.
Felicity Jaymes Allison of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Olivia Faith Wall of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Cambell Rayne Warner of Texarkana, Texas.
Irelyn Regena Coker of Fouke, Arkansas.
Jonathan Brock Parker of Hope, Arkansas.
Jenifer Lynn Smith of Hope, Arkansas.
Sara Jayne Sweat of Mccaskill, Arkansas.
Tia Rene Logan of Nashville, Arkansas.
Hannah Elizabeth Sherman of Nashville, Arkansas.
Paige Alexandria Brooks of Washington, Arkansas.
Zane Ethan Johnston of Texarkana, Texas.
Kaleo Daquan Anderson of Hope, Arkansas.
Kaylee Nicole Prewitt of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Mackynze Gracie Dayne Dollarhide of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Jordan Jobeth Rogers of De Queen, Arkansas.
Abbie Faye Lamb of Nashville, Arkansas.
Carolyn Jean Scott of Stamps, Arkansas.
Emily Rose Curtis of Fulton, Arkansas.
Katrina Elizabeth Reyes of Rosston, Arkansas.
Hannah Claire Phillips of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Katherine Renee Talley of Mccaskill, Arkansas.
Brittany Dionne Moore of Nashville, Arkansas.
Bayliss Dru Price of Prescott, Arkansas.
Tamyria Shamun Bostic of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Hailey Elizabeth Sutton of Hooks, Texas.
Zane Alexander Deberry of New Boston, Texas.
Isabel Hernandez of De Queen, Arkansas.
Hannah Grace Phillips of De Queen, Arkansas.
Damian Earl Ward of Dierks, Arkansas.
Meagan Brooke Williamson of Fouke, Arkansas.
Alyssa Renee Britton of Hope, Arkansas.
Irene Carrillo of Mccaskill, Arkansas.
Eva Sophie Delgado of Prescott, Arkansas.
Caleb Jeremiah Powell of Stamps, Arkansas.
Heather Nicole Munn of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Garrett S. Waters of Willisville, Arkansas.
Lakken Nicole Caffey of Broken Bow, Oklahoma.
Emma Caroline Farquhar of Hooks, Texas.
Morgan Blaire Mcalexander of Hooks, Texas.
Alexis L. Snyder of Texarkana, Texas.
Ricky William Ford of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Jade Morgan Kendrick of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Stephen Jesse Shuecraft of Fouke, Arkansas.
Aaliyah Lamyra Nutt of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Kimberly Bridgette Delgado of De Queen, Arkansas.
Diana Jiriveth Ramirez of De Queen, Arkansas.
Izabella Natali Sotelo of De Queen, Arkansas.
Randi Vanea Mcdonald of Hope, Arkansas.
Mikkie Dee Glasgow of Lewisville, Arkansas.
Jennifer K. Townsend of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Veronica Garcia Hall of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Jaden Paige Potts of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Kasie Joann Robinson of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Jennifer Aparicio Montiel of De Queen, Arkansas.
Haylin A. Halcombe of Dierks, Arkansas.
Harrison A. Vann of Doddridge, Arkansas.
William Cole Moseley of Fouke, Arkansas.
Ruby Jennifer Lopez of Hope, Arkansas.
Adilene Munoz of Hope, Arkansas. Jenna Grace Neely of Hope, Arkansas.
Hannah Kaylyn Reynolds of Hope, Arkansas.
Sophy Mayne Tyson of Hope, Arkansas.
Adalyn Michelle Becker of Nashville, Arkansas.
Hayden Michelle Quillin of Prescott, Arkansas.
Patricia Lynn Miller of Rosston, Arkansas.
Javontae Pearson of Rosston, Arkansas.
Annelise Dawn Braden of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Kristina Michelle Carter of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Javan Elon Patterson of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Brighton S. Walters of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Anna Rebekah Ward of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Chloe Madison Manasco of Umpire, Arkansas.
Kaylin Deriel Romine of Washington, Arkansas.
Alicea Rose Noah of Broken Bow, Oklahoma.
Sarah E. Ragland of Bivins, Texas.
Tyler Wade Maull of Blossom, Texas.
Mercy Alexandra of Dekalb, Texas.
Emma Kate Richardson of Dekalb, Texas.
Karmen Shardae Searcy of Hughes Springs, Texas.
Collin Taylor Moss of Mt. Pleasant, Texas.
Gabriel Lucas Dupas-mcgaugh of Texarkana, Texas.
John Alexander Giles of Texarkana, Texas.
Kayla Phoenix Power of Texarkana, Texas.
Kylar Milake Royal of Texarkana, Texas.
Aaron Loy Wharton of Texarkana, Texas.
Dean’s List
Robert R. Haworth of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Jessica Lynn Reeves of Buckner, Arkansas.
Daniel Thomas Parnell of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Dahj Monika Smith of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Kaylie Catherine Tipton of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Shaylon Cole Loyd of De Queen, Arkansas.
Colby Maxwell Light of Hope, Arkansas.
Bryson Douglas Rhodes of Rosston, Arkansas.
Nathaniel James Socash of De Queen, Arkansas.
Isaac Glen Carver of Foreman, Arkansas.
Chelsea Nicole Kemp of Foreman, Arkansas.
Joe Douglas Hinds of Fouke, Arkansas.
Abby Grace Minton of De Queen, Arkansas.
Elexcia Diane Henderson of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Baylee Elizabeth Johnson of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Bianca Renee Meza of Simms, Texas.
Caleb Austin Hays of Texarkana, Texas.
Dennis Wayne Peppers of De Queen, Arkansas.
Caelan Marie Pearson of Nashville, Arkansas.
Raegan Makayla Chism of Nashville, Arkansas.
Ashlynn Southern Brewer of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Noah Wesley Bretz of Texarkana, Texas.
Sandra Hernandez of Nashville, Arkansas.
Raley Nicole Sullivan of Hope, Arkansas.
Kayla Dawn Imler of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Amy Claire Newton of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Jordan Lee Perritt of Buckner, Arkansas.
Kynnedi Rayne France of De Queen, Arkansas.
Alexis Nicole Oaks of Dierks, Arkansas.
Brady Fate Jackson of Foreman, Arkansas.
Teressa Elaine Hedglin of
Fouke, Arkansas.
Hunter Lane Lansdell of Fouke, Arkansas.
Jacob Evan Thomas of Fouke, Arkansas.
Zachary Aaron Strickland of Hope, Arkansas.
Abby Nicole Lloyd of Lewisville, Arkansas.
Justin Lee Wilson of Prescott, Arkansas.
Aaliyah Chantel Jones of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Jessica Michelle Rateliff of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Atouria Amauri Robinson of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Zachary Ryan Thomas of Broken Bow, Oklahoma.
Emily Grace Latham of Simms, Texas.
Emily Rose Gordon of Dierks, Arkansas.
Essence Armonie-nicole Thomas of Prescott, Arkansas.
Emilie Faith Ferguson of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Megan Breann Lee of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Christopher Austin Plunkett of Texarkana, Texas.
Brooklyn Danielle Reed of Hope, Arkansas.
Morgan Elizabeth Lafayette of Fouke, Arkansas.
Dekki Nicole Reed of Fouke, Arkansas.
Haley Annette Davis of Nashville, Arkansas.
Ben Asher Ramirez of De Queen, Arkansas.
Burgundi Rose Unruh of De Queen, Arkansas.
Mitzi Michelle Victoria of De Queen, Arkansas.
Willie Neftalin White of De Queen, Arkansas.
Jackson Riley Dodd of Nashville, Arkansas.
Turner York Futrell of Nashville, Arkansas.
Kinsey Elana Westfall of Nashville, Arkansas.
Colyn Paige Grimes of Ogden, Arkansas.
Elisha Ann Grace Lewis of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Benjamin Wade Capps of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Nathaniel Dawson Mennie of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Kaitlyn Paulina Russell of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Esperanza Ortiz of Wickes, Arkansas.
Jaxon Brett Jennings of Broken Bow, Oklahoma.
Treyvan Dallas Smith of Broken Bow, Oklahoma.
Saanaa Lareen Fields of Daingerfield, Texas.
Katherine Louise Bolick of Texarkana, Texas.
Cameron Isaiah Hartefields of Texarkana, Texas.
Eli Garrett Lammers of Texarkana, Texas.
Brayden Ty Larey of Fouke, Arkansas.
Kinsey Anne Thomas of Hope, Arkansas.
Maci Grace Mcjunkins of Nashville, Arkansas.
Tryston Blake Pettit of Prescott, Arkansas.
Madison Paige Rogers of Lewisville, Arkansas.
Jalynn Nicole Louise Allen of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Addison Grace Barr of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Doneyne Preston Smith of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Kennedy R. Hamilton of Hope, Arkansas.
Connor Michael Hamilton of Stamps, Arkansas.
Kayla Annette Mitchell of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Bridgette Anne Ortiz of De Queen, Arkansas.
Kaylee Grace Welborn of Lockesburg, Arkansas.
Brooke Avery Burton of Prescott, Arkansas.
Maximus Aedyn Key of Prescott, Arkansas.
Brittany Shavone Hatter of Stamps, Arkansas.
Peyton Annabelle Dean of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Keely Alivia Plyler of Hope, Arkansas.
Hannah Lea Norman of Lockesburg, Arkansas.
Naomi Rebecca Jones of Prescott, Arkansas.
David Austin Bearden of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Madison Paige Huddleston of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Alexis Marie Johnson of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Gavin Lee Ketcher of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Emma Grace Wrinkle of Ashdown, Arkansas.
James Parker Johnson of Bradley, Arkansas.
Heidi Elizabeth Long of Bradley, Arkansas.
Alexis Renee Williams of Buckner, Arkansas.
Gavin Tyler Bailey of Dierks, Arkansas.
Justin William Jackson of Dierks, Arkansas.
Sawyer Steven Stapp of Dierks, Arkansas.
Charles Thomas Vann of Doddridge, Arkansas.
Colin Blake Barnett of Fouke, Arkansas.
Kaylene Danielle Ferguson of Fouke, Arkansas.
Lilly Marie Henry of Fouke, Arkansas.
Haleigh Savannah Hoss of Fouke, Arkansas.
Jonathan David Weber of Fouke, Arkansas.
Emmie Kate Fuller of Hope, Arkansas.
Taylor Michelle Impson of Hope, Arkansas.
Natalie Elaine Prosser of Hope, Arkansas.
Johan Velazquez of Hope, Arkansas.
William O. Bell of Nashville, Arkansas.
Ashley Morgan Chambers of Nashville, Arkansas.
Felix A. Mendiola of Nashville, Arkansas.
Kyleigh Marie Scoggins of Nashville, Arkansas.
Savannah Elena Jackson of Ozan, Arkansas.
Megan Susanne Avery of Prescott, Arkansas.
Mazie Elise Bright of Prescott, Arkansas.
Justin Cole Brown of Prescott, Arkansas.
Rainey Danielle Christopher of Prescott, Arkansas.
Carston Robert Poole of Prescott, Arkansas.
Kaylie Makenzie Russo of Rosston, Arkansas.
Karsyn Alise Dean of Stamps, Arkansas.
Madison Arielle Bowie of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Ricky Dale Cockrell of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Dorothy M. Davis of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Cayleigh Michele Gerrald of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Dacoda Ren’a Goethals of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Lani Elizabeth Lindsey of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Andrew Hogue Murphy of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Jonah Don Rathburn of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Mikayla Grace Shepard of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Kaylee Reed Sullivan of Texarkana, Arkansas.
Irvin Pineda Trejo of Wickes, Arkansas.
Briana Leanne Mills of Broken Bow, Oklahoma.
Lauren Leigh Burton of Atlanta, Texas.
Emma Catherine May of Atlanta, Texas.
Avan N. Deal of Dekalb, Texas.
Rylan Eloy Marioth of Dekalb, Texas.
Brinklee Danae Corrigan of Dekalb, Texas.
Keylee J. Morrison of Detroit, Texas.
Kalli Noel Latham of Hooks, Texas.
Zane Michael Williams of Maud, Texas.
Zander Javian Corona of New Boston, Texas.
Baylee N. Edwards of New Boston, Texas.
Brynne Marie Chandler of Texarkana, Texas.
Jordan Keelan Forte of Texarkana, Texas.
Anastazia Noel Gross of Texarkana, Texas.
Garett Scott Harrison of Texarkana, Texas.
Victor Said Hernandez of Texarkana, Texas.
Andrew Clary Hooper of Texarkana, Texas.
Isley J. Hubbard of Texarkana, Texas.
Shelby Nicole Lejeune of Texarkana, Texas.
Jackson Roberson of Texarkana, Texas.
Hunter Benjamin Yates of Texarkana, Texas.
Minnesota State College Southeast announces its President’s List for fall 2023. Area students include Sonya Moore of Hope, Arkansas
University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa announces its President’s List and Dean’s List for fall 2023. Area students include:
President’s List Campbell Jackson of Texarkana (75503) was named to the Presidents List.
Reese Langdon of Texarkana (75503) was named to the Presidents List.
Dean’s List
Magan Mallard of Texarkana (71854) was named to the Deans List.
Elizabeth Debenport of Texarkana (75503) was named to the Deans List.
Katherine Ferguson of Texarkana (75503) was named to the Deans List.
Rachael Leach of Texarkana (75503) was named to the Deans List.
Mississippi State University announces its President’s List for fall 2023. Area students include Shelby Boswell of Texarkana, Texas
Letourneau University announces its President’s List and Dean’s List for fall 2023. President’s List
Jared Bickham of Douglassville, Texas
Dean’s List
Dylan Stanley of Linden, Texas
Brooke Vaughn of Mount Pleasant, Texas
Maggie Smith of Naples, Texas
Isaac Hodges of Omaha, Texas
Mary Angier of Texarkana, Texas
Lewis Lackman IV of Texarkana, Texas
Thomas Herberg of Wake Village, Texas
Austin Peay State University announces its Dean’s List for fall 2023. Benjamin Johnson of Hooks, Texas, was named to the list.
University of Dallas announces its Dean’s List for fall 2023. Charles Ogden of Texarkana, Texas, was named to the list.
Iowa State University announces its Dean’s List for fall 2023.
Area students include: Galvin Allen Smith of Daingerfield, Texas; and Olivia Nicole Dae of Nashville, Arkansas
Letourneau University announces its graduates for fall 2023, including:
Katherine Brown of Hughes Springs, Texas, Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction
Brooke Vaughn of Mount Pleasant, Texas, Summa Cum Laude, Bachelor of Science in Political Science-political Leadership Concentration
Maggie Smith of Naples, Texas, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Mississippi State University announces its graduates for fall 2023. Clint Balch of Buckner, Arkansas, graduated with a Master of Science from the College of Engineering.
Harding University announces its graduates for fall 2023.
Chelsea Howard of Texarkana received a(n) Master of Arts in Teaching in secondary education.
Austin Toler of Texarkana received a(n) Master of Science in information systems.
Maggie Haynes of Hope received a(n) Bachelor of Arts in communication sciences and disorders.
Amber Jurek of Nashville received a(n) Master of Science in physician assistant studies.
University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa announces its graduates for fall 2023. Rachael Leach of Texarkana, Texas, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce & Business Administration.
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Harding University announces its Dean’s List for fall 2023.
Calvin Haynes, of Hope, Arkansas.
Addison Smedley, of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Miriam Bennett, of Texarkana.
Emma Snodgrass, of Mount Pleasant, Texas.
Rusty Orr, of Hope, Arkansas.
Savanna Stanley, of Talco, Texas.
Rielyn Schubert, of Jefferson, Texas.
Christian Brumley, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma.
Darby Robertson, of Texarkana.
Isaac Linnett, of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Blake Bowles, of Ashdown, Arkansas.
Daniel Bennett, of Texarkana.
Maggie Haynes, of Hope, Arkansas.
University of Arkansas Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences announces its Chancellor’s List and Dean’s List for fall 2023.
Chancellor’s List
Katelyn Adkins of Dekalb, Texas
Allison Bonner of Prescott, Arkansas
Darren Black of Texarkana Deyonte Range of Texarkana
Lillian Ellis of Mount Pleasant, Texas
Mika Brown of Hope, Arkansas
Gabrielle Boswell of Texarkana
Dean’s List
Kaila Sullivan of Ashdown, Arkansas
Anna-claire Raulston of Dekalb, Texas
April Trotter of Texarkana Emma Gilbert of Lockesburg, Arkansas
Reid Pinckard of Mount Pleasant, Texas
Hazel Rivers of Texarkana Aiyana Martin of Hope, Arkansas
Lesly Hernandez of De Queen, Arkansas
Faith West of Texarkana
The C.E. Palmer Award is the city’s most prestigious honor for community service. Established in 1941 and named for the longtime publisher of this newspaper, the honor has been shared by more than 80 local luminaries in the years since.
It’s always nice to be recognized for some good work or extraordinary effort. But the Palmer Award goes beyond any single accomplishment. Rather, the award comes in recognition of a lifetime of service to Texarkana.
On Friday, the winner for 2023 was announced — George E. Moore. A 47-year career dedicated to education saw him start as a teacher at Texas High School and rise to assistant principal at Westlawn, principal at 15th Street and Pine Street and assistant superintendent for the Texas Independent School District. He has been honored for his work in education on a statewide level and is a member of the TISD Hall of Fame.
In addition, Moore has been very active in community service in the Twin Cities.
To be recognized by one’s peers as someone who has contributed to the quality of life in Texarkana for many years is an honor indeed.
We congratulate George E. Moore as he joins the roll, listed below, of those who have helped make our city a better place to work and live.
1941 — Robert Maxwell
1942 — L.C. Barry
1943 — Dr. T.J. Wilbanks
1944 — W.B. Simmons
1945 — Hal R. Moore Jr.
1946 — Herman Wommack
1947 — James Alan Whyte
1948 — Wilbur Smith
1949 — J.R. Crowder
1950 — Mrs. A.R. Mckinney Jr.
1951 — Mrs. T.J. Robison
1952 — Mrs. Arthur Temple
1953 — Edwin L. Stanley, MD
1954 — David Nelson
1955 — J.R. Morriss Sr.
1956 — J.Q. Mahaffey
1957 — J.K. Wadley
1958 — H.W. Stillwell
1959 — James R. Bryant
1960 — E.R. Bondurant
1961 — Dr. W.H. Richardson
1962 — A.G. Sanderson Jr.
1963 — Leon Kuhn
1964 — Stuart Wilson
1965 — Mannie Stevens
1966 — H.R. Wren Sr.
1967 — Mrs. A.G. Sanderson Jr.
J.C. Cabe
1968 — Pearson Walsh
1969 — William G. Fuller
1970 — George Rozzell
1971 — B.A. Lemser
1972 — Herbert Wren, MD
1973 — E.M. Jones Sr.
1974 — Josh R. Morriss Jr.
1975 — Margaret Stuart Dickey
1976 — George W. Thompson, MD 1977 — Earl M. Jones Jr.
1978 — L.E. Gilliland
1979 — John F. Stroud Jr.
1980 — David Orr
1981 — E.D. Trice
1982 — Charles Gardner
1983 — Mrs. Christine Nelson
1984 — Samuel Shuman
1985 — Josephine Beck
Dr. Carl Nelson
1986 — Truman Arnold
1987 — Bruce Wilson
1988 — Ben & Nancy Sandefur 1989 — David Williams
1990 — Hayes Mcclerkin
1991 — Martha Morriss
1992 — Frederick E. Joyce, MD
1993 — Walter C. Barnes, MD
1994 — Denzer Burke, DDS
1995 — Donald N. Morriss
1996 — C.A. Mitchell
Ann Forehand
1997 — Remica Crank Gray
1998 — William B. Roberts
1999 — Connor Patman
George Crank Florence Crank
2000 — Vasco Mccoy
2001 — William O. Morriss
2002 — Fred & Martha Norton 2003 — R. Scott & Jane F. Bruner 2004 — Judy Kelley Morgan
2005 — Dan Haskins
2006 — Shirley Finn
2007 — Patty Smith
2008 — Ruth Ellen Whitt
2009 — Joan Carter
2010 — Danny Gray
2011 — Denis Washington
2012 — James Henry Russell
2013 — Lucille Cook
2014 — Curt Green
2015 — Steve & Lisa Ledwell
2016 — Fay J. Durrant
2017 — Dean and Lecrecia Barry 2018 — Cary Patterson
2019 — Sonja Hubbard
2020 — James Carlow
2021 — Prissy Hickerson
2022 — Fred Markham
2023 — George E. Moore
To George E. Moore and all C.E. Palmer Award winners, past and future, we say thank you for your service and commitment to our community.
ABHA BHATTARAI AND LAUREN KAORI GURLEY
More of today’s Gen Z high-schoolers are making their way into the workforce, picking up after school and summer jobs, and reversing a trend of forgoing work when millennials were teens.
At least 250,000 more teenagers are now working compared to before the pandemic, part of a gradual but consequential shift that is boosting employment at restaurants and stores, and changing cultural norms. In all, 37 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds had a job or were looking for one last year, the highest annual rate since 2009, according to Labor Department data.
That pickup follows more than four decades of declines, a pattern that accelerated in the 2000s, Labor Department data shows.
“The teenagers who are here now, they really want to be here,” said Nilo Gonzalez, a pizzeria owner in Albuquerque, who went from having no teens on staff to hiring three, a quarter of his workforce. “They’re energetic and ready to work, which wasn’t really the case with the previous generation of millennials.”
An abundance of jobs, particularly entry-level positions in hospitality and retail, have helped draw teenagers into the labor market. In interviews, high school-age workers cited a number of reasons for working, including financial independence and the opportunity to try new things. Inflation has also been a major factor: Students from lower-income families say they’re working to help their parents cover rent and utilities, while others are using the extra money to pay for the rising cost of gas and car insurance, or outings with friends.
“When the labor market is tight, more teens work,” said Elizabeth Ananat, an economics professor at Barnard College. “When teens hear there are jobs available, they take the jobs.”
Reilly Dunlap started working at a resort gift shop in Traverse City, Mich., just after she turned 16. The high school junior works three or four evenings a week and makes $16 an hour, well above the local minimum wage and enough to cover gas and insurance for her Chevy SUV.
“Having a job gives you a lot of freedom,” Dunlap said, adding that nearly all of her friends also work. “Of course there’s the money. But also it feels good that I can pay for what I need to, that I don’t have to rely on my parents for everything anymore.”
Employers across the country have taken steps to improve starting pay, which has disproportionately benefited younger workers. People between 16 and 24 saw the largest jump in pay last year — 9.8 percent, nearly double the increase for all workers, according to an analysis of government data by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Those fast-rising wages have played a role in winning over younger workers. When the city of Tukwila, Wash., near Seattle, raised its hourly minimum wage to $18.99 in July, there was a flurry of new interest from teenagers, according to Jennifer Fichamba, a counselor at Foster High School. Many students at the school tend to work anyway to help their families, but pay boost incentivized more 14- and 15-year-olds, she said. Some took jobs at a nearby shopping mall, at stores like Hollister, H&M and Target, while others work with their parents, cleaning houses or busing tables at restaurants.
“I did see a lot more interest, especially among underclassmen,” Fichamba said. “I was hearing things like, ‘Oh, I can make $20 an hour now. Maybe my dad won’t have to work two jobs any more.’”
The recent uptick in youth employment follows decades of steady declines. The share of teenagers in the labor market has dropped steadily since the late 1970s, when nearly 60 percent of teens worked. Rising school enrollment, combined with national efforts to lower high school dropout rates and a shift toward higher-skilled jobs, have all contributed to the decline.
Plus, high school has become much more demanding: Teens today spend twice as much time on homework than they did in the mid1990s, leaving them less time for socializing and paid work, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of federal data. Getting into college has become more competitive, too, leading many high-schoolers to prioritize a host of other activities — sports, debate team, even SAT prep — over part-time work.
But the shock of the covid pandemic changed the picture, at least temporarily. As the country reopened after 2020 lockdowns, businesses needed to hire rapidly to keep up with Americans’ insatiable appetite for dining out, shopping and traveling. Employees, though, were tough to come by — millions of service workers had abandoned the industry for better-paying opportunities — forcing employers to tap into a new source of labor: teens.
For high-schoolers, the onslaught of job openings came just as they were finding their footing after months of virtual schooling. Many were eager to get back in the “real world,” high school counselors said, and welcomed the opportunity to work for pay. During last year’s jobs boom, the unemployment rate for 16to 19-year-olds dropped to a 70-year low.
In Wichita, Caleb Newfer, 18, makes $10 an hour scanning and selling tickets at the county zoo. He earns about 20 percent more than he did two years ago, at his first job at a dog boarding facility, and says the extra money has come in handy for gas. He’s also been saving for college and started a retirement account.
“When the pandemic started, I was only 14 but that’s when I started wanting to make money,” he said, adding that he did odd jobs like mowing lawns and helping his grandfather sell model cars on ebay for extra cash. “I had all this free time and wanted to use it.”
Employers are so strapped for workers, especially in service jobs, that many say they are increasingly willing to accommodate high-schoolers’ frenetic schedules, which can change every week depending on exams, extracurricular activities and social commitments. That’s the case for Angielena Muellenberg who employs as many as 10 teenagers at a time at Snowbelt Brewing Co., in Gaylord, Mich., up from one or two before the pandemic.
“These teens have stepped in to fill the shoes of all the people who left during covid,” she said. “They’re a big reason a lot of restaurants have been able to stay open and operating.”
But labor economists warn that working during the high school years can come with risks. Studies have shown that holding a job in high school can contribute to lower grades and less likelihood of graduation, setting up teens for a lifetime of lower earnings and worse employment opportunities.
Teenagers with jobs are also at risk for being asked to work long, late hours that interfere with schoolwork and sleep, especially when employers are understaffed. Since 2020, fast-food companies have illegally scheduled thousands of teenagers to work late and long hours and to operate dangerous kitchen equipment, according to a recent Washington Post analysis of federal data.
This trend is happening as some states are taking steps to loosen child labor protections. Iowa and West Virginia have recently changed laws to allow teens as young as 16 to serve alcohol, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute. Others are rapidly rolling back protections for 14- and 15-year-old workers. In Arkansas, for example, young teens no longer need parental approval to get a job, while New Jersey recently ruled that minors can work as many as six hours without a break.
Still, there is overwhelming evidence that some paid work, including summer jobs, can benefit both high-schoolers and communities. Many local governments have poured millions in covid-related funding into bolstering summer youth employment programs around the country, in hopes of cutting down on crime rates and addressing growing mental health concerns.