It’s once again time to vote for the Lee County High School Student of the Week! We have an outstanding list of nominees this week.
The voting period starts today and ends at 5 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 6)
You can vote here, or scroll down to our interactive voting tool.
Jahquez “Quez” Outten-Evangelical Christian School
Jahquez “Quez” Outten is in tenth grade at Evangelical Christian School (ECS). He started at ECS at the beginning of his eighth grade year. Quez has been on the Varsity Basketball Team since 8th grade and has been Captain the past two years. Quez has also played Football at ECS the past three years. Quez has been a part of Sentinels for Christ and Boys Bible Study. He takes Photography and Weightlifting as his electives. Quez loves spending time with his family and often helps his Grandmother at a local food pantry. Once he graduates from college, Quez wants to go into Broadcasting and Communication. Quez was nominated by several of his teachers and often receives many raving reviews about his respectful and mature character around campus.
Sophia Deiman-Cypress Lake High School
Cypress Lake High School is proud to recognize Sophia Deiman as our nominee for News-Press Student of the Week. A dedicated and accomplished 12th grader, Sophia maintains an impressive 4.94 GPA while excelling in AICE and AP courses.
Beyond academics, Sophia is a passionate leader in the Theatre Department, where she is currently stage managing the upcoming senior show and previously played a lead role in the Junior Musical, Willy Wonka. She is also actively involved in cheerleading, Panther Pack, and Panther Theatre Costume Construction, where she contributed during her freshman and sophomore years.
Her commitment to excellence extends to several honor societies, including the National English Honor Society, the National Science Honor Society, and the National Honor Society.
In addition to her studies, Sophia has worked since the beginning of her freshman year, first at Lynq restaurant and now at DSW, where she has been employed for over a year.
Sophia is also dedicated to giving back through volunteer work. She has served as a camp counselor for Panther Theatre Summer Camp and is an active participant in Be a Buddy.
Sophia’s dedication, leadership, and perseverance make her an outstanding nominee for News-Press Student of the Week.
Megan Pardon-Ida Baker High School
Baker’s nominee this week is 12th grader Megan Padron. Her JROTC sergeant wrote this glowing recommendation:
It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Megan Jai Padron for student of the week. As a student at Ida S. Baker High School, Megan has consistently demonstrated an exceptional commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and personal growth. She ranks first in a class of 510 students, with an impressive GPA of 5.65, further solidifying her place among the most accomplished students in our school. Megan has also pursued dual enrollment at Florida Southwestern State College, where she has already earned 60 credit hours with a GPA of 3.86. She is on track to graduate with 90 credits by 2025, an outstanding accomplishment that showcases her dedication to furthering her education beyond the typical high school curriculum.
Outside of academics, Megan has demonstrated exemplary leadership and involvement in a wide range of activities. As the JROTC Battalion Commander for 2024-2025 and the JROTC Area Commander for Lee County, she has shown exceptional leadership by overseeing multiple battalions, setting goals, and leading by example. Megan stands as the number one cadet in Lee County, Florida, surpassing cadets from over 15 other high schools—a testament to her outstanding abilities and dedication. She also served as JROTC Company Commander and Cyber Patriots Commander during 2023-2024, in addition to leading her team as Drones Commander, guiding them to success at district and national levels in drone operations and programming.
In addition to her leadership in JROTC, Megan has been a dedicated gymnastics coach at Southern Starz Gymnastics since June 2023, helping young children build foundational skills. She was also a competitive gymnast from 2012-2023, further highlighting her discipline and work ethic. Megan continues to be actively involved in the community with over 175 hours of volunteer work and has served as a volunteer tutor since 2022.
Her numerous accolades include the Dean’s List at FSW State College, the American Legion School Award, the Superior Cadet Award, and the prestigious Distinguished Cadet Award for Scholastic Excellence. She has been recognized for her excellence in academics and leadership with honors such as the Medal of Achievement for Flight Operations and Academic Superior Achievement, among others.
In summary, Megan is a truly outstanding individual with a strong academic record, a wide range of leadership experience, and a deep commitment to her community. I have no doubt that she will excel in her future academic pursuits and continue to positively impact the world around her. I highly recommend her for admission to your institution
We are beyond thrilled to nominate this student!
Samantha Mitchell-Bishop Verot
Bishop Verot’s Student of the week nominee is senior Samantha Mitchell. Samantha contributes much to our school community through utilizing her diverse gifts and talents to the best of her ability. Samantha will be attending the University of Notre Dame in the fall. She plans to major in Biology on a Pre-Dental track and minor in Studio Art. She is a National Merit Semifinalist. She is in the National Honor Society, Co-President of the Art National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and Spanish National Honor Society. She has been on the varsity swim team for four years. She has been a volunteer for many years with the Sanibel Sea School. She is an altar server and Eucharistic Minister at her church. Samantha is also a member of the American Heritage Girls. She earned her Stars and Stripes Award (100 + service hours) by building a rosary garden at St. Cecilia church. Most recently Samantha competed in our annual Teacher/Student Quiz Bowl competition. This year the students took home the victory led by Samantha’s numerous correct answers. Each year she has competed she wows the entire school community with her wealth of knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. We are proud of Samantha and all of her accomplishments.
Benjamin Lucas-North Fort Myers High School
Ben Lucas is a Senior at North Fort Myers High School with a 4.52 weighted GPA. Ben is very involved with extracurricular activities at North, such as being the Brigade Commander of the JROTC program, which involves leading monthly staff meetings, and being responsible for the productivity of the Brigade. He is also the Senior Class Vice President, who aims to assist his fellow officers’ leadership development. He is the co-founder of the National English Honor Society, and facilitates monthly meetings, as well as discusses possible scholarship opportunities with members. In addition, he is also the Captain of the JROTC Raiders team, having led the team to a fifth place ranking at the National competition, and third overall at States. He is a member of the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Biomedical Debate team, having qualified for the state conference. In the future, Ben is aspiring to be appointed to a United States Service Academy, in hope of becoming a pilot in the military.
Travis Heinrichs-Canterbury School
Senior Travis Heinrichs possesses genuine intellectual curiosity. He loves to ask questions and is interested in learning everything in every discipline. His history teacher commented, “If I could wave a magic wand and fill my classroom with students like Travis, I would do so in a heartbeat. He is so easy to work with. He learned history with quiet zeal, never complained, and earned splendid grades.”
Diligence, cleverness, unassumingness, and authenticity are all traits that Travis’s teachers attribute to him. His math teacher shared, “Travis is an excellent chess player who has worked diligently as our chess club president to help spread the game. He encourages beginners to participate and teaches them the rules and strategies. He knows he is probably the best chess player at this school, but he is humble about it and approaches the game with an attitude of respect. He wants those around him to get better and enjoy the game. He is also an incredible math student with a strong work ethic and respect for his teachers and classmates.”
Travis embodies the notion of leadership by example and enjoys collaborating with others. He aims to make his professional and personal life one “of purpose” to help others, perhaps through a career in medicine, and he hopes to leave behind important legacies in his career, family life, and personal endeavors. He is also a multi-sport athlete who shows grit and determination in his extracurriculars. As a dedicated cross-country and track runner, the self-discipline that Travis shows by attending pre-dawn practices is truly impressive.
Vote here!
