Coahoma High School has announced the top two scholars of the Class of 2024.
Reagan Chapman, the son of Kelly and Greg Chapman, has been named valedictorian, and Braiden Boaz, the son of Rocky and Kim Coates, has been named salutatorian of the Coahoma senior class of 2024.
In the fall, Chapman will head to Kansas to join the McPherson College football team and study finance and accounting as a step toward fulfilling his long-term career goal of becoming a tax attorney.
In high school, Chapman has been a standout member of the varsity football, track, powerlifting, and tennis teams. This year, he took on a leadership role in the National Honor Society by serving as its vice president.
His favorite motto is, “I didn't walk through all that fire just to smell the smoke,” and his advice to younger students is, “Your effort should never be questioned.”
With a mindset of relentless goal-setting and self-improvement, Chapman’s work ethic and discipline is evident by his numerous recognition and awards. He was named the 2024 Howard County Commissioners Male Student of the Year for Coahoma, and he was twice recognized by the Big Spring Rotary Club as the Coahoma student of the month.
During his standout high school athletic career, Chapman was named the 2023 District 4-3A football special teams MVP. As the Bulldog placekicker, Chapman recorded 135 career points and kicked a record 44-yard field goal.
This academic year, he made the THSCA all-state football and track first team, showing he works just as hard in the classroom as he does on the field.
Earlier this month, Chapman achieved one of his long-term goals when he walked the stage of Howard College (HC) to receive his associate degree of science, 13 days before his high school graduation ceremony. While attending HC, Chapman stayed focused on his high school studies and extracurricular activities while excelling at his college course work. He was recognized for his success by being named to the HC President’s list for three semesters.
Salutatorian Braiden Boaz plans to attend Tarleton State University following graduation to major in business management. While in college, he plans to intern at a diesel mechanic shop.
Following completion of college, Boaz is determined to blaze his own trail in life. Once he is a certified diesel mechanic, he intends to put his business management skills in action with the goal of building his own diesel mechanic business.
His parting advice to younger students at Coahoma is, “Don’t be afraid to try a different degree path even if you’ve already taken classes for another plan. You're still in high school. It’s okay for you to not know exactly what degree you want.”
Boaz also counseled younger students to take responsibility for their academic work. “One more point of advice, don’t procrastinate,” he advised. “It will save you a lot of stress.”
During his time in high school, Boaz participated in many extracurricular activities. He played varsity football, basketball, track, and powerlifting. He was active in the National Honor Society and the Coahoma FFA.
His hard work was noticed by his academic instructors and the community. Boaz made the HC Dean’s List for two semesters. He earned THSCA all-state academic honors this academic year for baseball (first team), football (first team) and track (first team). In 2023, he was named to the All-District 4-3A football defensive first team.
His favorite motto is, “Always remember your why. It defines who you are and what you’re doing that day. It keeps you productive and reminds you why you are there and what you’re there to achieve.”
Coahoma High School will hold graduation ceremonies at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at the Bill Easterling Memorial Field located by the high school building in Coahoma.