St. Teresa's names Tafoya as its Student of the Year

Eigth-grader Vanessa Tafoya works on her jumpshot Monday. Tafoya plays for the St. teresa Lady Warriors basketball team and holds a 4.0 g.p.a. She was recently named Student of the Year. (Photo by Jerry Wilson/Independent)

Editor's note: St. Teresa's School in Grants has a one-two punch in the Student and Teacher of the Year in the Catholic Diocese of Gallup: Student of the year Vanessa Tafoya. See related story.

By Jim Tiffin
Staff Writer

GRANTS — Scholar, basketball player and student council representative, Vanessa Tafoya has been named Student of the Year at St. Teresa's School in the Catholic Diocese of Gallup.

A bright, active, 14-year-old, Vanessa says she is excited and will probably save the $200 she received from the Diocese as part of her honor.

"It makes me feel special to be selected from the 12 kids in my class at school," she says.

Maintaining a 4.0 GPA, playing basketball on the middle school team and beginning to attend practices for the Grants High School (GHS) soccer team where she will be a freshman in August, Vanessa is a busy student.

Her mother Gina, the school's library aide, says character, academics and activities were areas the selection committee looked at in picking the Student of the Year.

"The Diocese has been doing this since before I got here eight years ago," says Jerry Garcia, St. Teresa's principal.

"She is a good kid, she's really on the ball," Garcia says of Vanessa.

She has helped the needy by volunteering at the Community Food Pantry, has helped the Sisters of San Rafael Catholic nuns with Bible classes, has periodically read part of Mass and has been altar girl during the Stations of the Cross during Lent, Garcia says.

Vanessa says outside of school she has one love shopping.

In school however, it's a different story, "I love math," she says.

"I understand it in a way that it's just great," she says. "It's awesome."

She has two brothers, Timothy, 15, a sophomore at GHS and Nicolas, a fifth-grader at St. Teresa's.

The teachers vote on the Student of the Year based on academics, character, accomplishments and all around best student, Garcia says.

— To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin@blackmesa-isp.net.