Little did these two girls know when they met in the fourth grade and instantly became best friends that they would one day be the top two of their class and forge a path of tremendous success for future students to follow. They did more than just succeed though; they dominated. With dedication, fortitude, and downright grit, Audrey Lovette and Faith Cruz have achieved the incredible accomplishment of graduating with both their high school diplomas and associate’s degree through the Blevins Collegiate Program, a partnership between the school and the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana (UAHT). And they went even further by earning the highest honors of the Blevins graduating class: Valedictorian and Salutatorian.
At times their schedule was rigorous and the material proved challenging. Imagine a typical night for Audrey. She would come home at 11pm just depleted after a full day of school and then traveling to compete (and win) in an away game for basketball, but she couldn’t rest yet because there were assignments to complete. Or what about Faith? She might have just spent the previous night out of town for the State Beta Convention and then risen early to help with the family farm, but there was no downtime to be had because studying for the next test took priority.
Both girls spent many a Sunday completing biology labs alone at the kitchen table because the week had been too full to carve out three consecutive hours to finish the assignment. But they never wavered. Neither did the four other classmates who also participated in this program, Remington Buck, Elathy Hargraves, Hector Moreno, and April Torres. Six students may sound like a small number, but when coming from a class of 29, that is 21 percent of the entire class! And every single one of the superior six was either an honor graduate, earned a substantial scholarship, or received a distinguished award upon graduation. For some, it was all of the above. There are simply not enough words to describe the work ethic required to accomplish such victories.
To better understand their story, though, and the sheer determination it took to accomplish these feats with the majority of their classes being online and doing so in only two years (these programs are usually begun during a student’s sophomore year), it’s best to hear from these bright young ladies themselves. They can explain best their thoughts on what it truly took to reach their goals, as well as the pride and appreciation they feel to be able to participate in such a valuable program as the one from Blevins High School and UAHT.
Audrey
Getting to participate in the dual/concurrent credit program has been crucial in my education and my development as a person. I learned so much about myself as a person, what interests me, and what I want to pursue in the future. These past two years have been the most demanding of my life so far, due to participating in this program as well as my extracurriculars and sports at Blevins. Despite that, these past two years have also been more rewarding than anything else I’ve done, and I am so glad I made the decision to be a part of Blevins’ first class to graduate with an associate’s degree.
I was motivated by my family; plus, I had determination. I was blessed with the two free years of college I got from the Blevins/UAHT program, and I knew I could not waste it. I used the mindset and work ethic I acquired from college classes and basketball to become the Blevins 2025 Valedictorian.
Since I grew up with most of my classmates, I was so thankful I was able to represent my senior class as valedictorian, and I was also thankful that a very close friend of mine who also worked extremely hard, Faith Cruz, was our salutatorian. UAHT not only helped me in setting future goals, it gave me the stepping stones to achieve them, and for that I am eternally grateful.
Faith
Taking concurrent credit classes was such a valuable experience for me, and I was really grateful for the opportunity. It was stressful at times, and it wasn't always easy to find the motivation to actively make the choice to go and teach myself the material, but it really paid off in the end. By taking these classes, I was able to put myself ahead of the game and I've made myself and my family so proud in the process.
Besides the material I was given, I also learned how to navigate the studying and reading portion of college classes with the safety net of my high school teachers and family, so I can go on to Hendrix with the knowledge of what works for me and what doesn't. I am so thankful for UAHT and Blevins High School for providing me that amazing opportunity.
Faith’s mom, Kassy Cruz, said Faith has surpassed any and all expectations she and her husband Jason had for Faith. “As parents, all we want is for our kids to do better than we have, and she’s done that plus much more,” Kassy said. “I truly don’t think I can put into words how it feels. It’s just beautiful. It’s been beautiful to watch, and I’m so lucky.”
Audrey’s mom, April Lovette, shared the same sentiment. “When our kids are little, we think of all the things we want to teach them, but I never could have imagined how much Audrey was going to teach me,” April said. “The immense willpower it took for her to accomplish these goals has been an inspiration for me and our entire family. She made up her mind what she wanted, and she never faltered. We feel so blessed to have this incredible young woman in our lives.”
Audrey and Faith could never have imagined ten years ago when they began their friendship that they would one day be role models for others to follow, but those who know them certainly aren’t surprised. Words like “determined,” “strong,” and “smart” are used often when describing these two remarkable young ladies, as well as “kind,” “caring,” and “giving.” With so much in common, it’s really not surprising that as each of them grew in their individual journeys to success, they also grew together in their friendship and cemented a relationship that will truly stay with them forever.
As fate would have it, their shared journey isn’t quite over yet since they will both be in Conway next year. They didn’t plan it, but when selecting their academic programs and consequently earning scholarship awards, they discovered that they will only be three miles apart. Audrey will be attending UCA to major in criminology/behavioral psychology, and Faith will be attending Hendrix to major in English/journalism. So their connection built through learning and love will continue, and there is no doubt that it will yield many more accomplishments. They both credit the Blevins/UAHT partnership for providing them the important tools they will need to reach their goals for the future.
