Pair to lead Yantis Class of ‘23 grads

Posted 5/25/23

Elgin Curry and Jude Calvillo will lead the Yantis High School graduating class of 2023 when 27 seniors cross the stage at the high school Saturday, May 27 at 6 p.m.

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Pair to lead Yantis Class of ‘23 grads

Elgin Curry, Yantis Valedictorian
Elgin Curry, Yantis Valedictorian
Posted

Elgin Curry and Jude Calvillo will lead the Yantis High School graduating class of 2023 when 27 seniors cross the stage at the high school Saturday, May 27 at 6 p.m.

Curry, the valedictorian, is the son of Ronnie Curry and Jessica Simon and completed all his schooling at Yantis.

He plans to join the United States Marine Corps and reports on June 20 in San Diego.

His assignment will be to an air crew and is hoping to be working on a large aircraft.

Curry credits his grandfather, a Vietnam veteran, who had a big impact on his life, with his desire to join the military.

Curry also plans to begin college courses while in the service and pursue the officer’s route.

He spent three years in the Yantis FFA program, serving as vice president as a freshman and president as a sophomore.

He also participated in varsity basketball, track and baseball for three years and was the class president from 6th through 12th grade.

He appreciates the support of his classmates for choosing him in that role.

Curry said he will miss his friends, coaches and teachers.

“They make this place what it is,” he said of the teachers.

He said they helped him figure out where to go from here.

He mentioned science teacher Christie Quinn and government/economics teacher Lauren Hudson as particularly helpful and encouraging.

Calvillo, the salutatorian, is the son of Sonja Culp and Marcus Calvillo. He joined the class in the fifth grade, moving from Arlington.

He is well on his way to completing an associates degree from Tyler Junior College, having taken all the dual credit courses he could.

He expects to complete that degree within the next year and enroll in a four-year college to complete a bachelor of science in nursing, perhaps UT-Tyler or Texas A&M.

He also found time for FFA, UIL academics and basketball and is in the work-study program, employed at Soulman’s Bar-B-Que in Sulphur Springs.

He will also miss his friends, and just being a kid.

He said Yantis has amazing teachers, and added that Quinn helped him to love science which led to his desire to pursue the medical field.

Calvillo said he enjoyed learning about the human body and missed just two questions on his science STAAR test.