RGC HS Class of 2020

Robert G. Cole High School Senior Class of 2020

Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Cole Medal of Honor Recipient Robert G. Cole was born at Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas to Colonel Clarence F. Cole, an Army doctor, and Clara H. Cole on March 19, 1915. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio in 1933 and joined the United States Army on July 1, 1934. In June of 1935, he was honorably discharged to accept an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He married Allie May Wilson and was appointed as a second lieutenant to the 15th Infantry at Fort Lewis, Washington in 1939. He remained at Fort Lewis until his transfer to the 501st Parachute Infantry Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1941. He rapidly rose through the ranks and soon became a Lieutenant Colonel commanding the 3rd Battalion of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment on June 6, 1944, the date of his unit’s first combat jump. Lt. Col. Cole parachuted into Normandy with his unit. By the evening of June 6, he had gathered 75 men. They captured Exit 3 at Saint-Martin-de-Vareville behind Utah Beach and were at the dune line to welcome men from the U.S. 4th Infantry Division coming ashore. On June 10, Robert G. Cole led 400 men of his battalion single file down a long, exposed causeway with marshes at either side and four bridges at the far end of the causeway. Just beyond the fourth bridge was Carentan, which he had been ordered to seize and connect with the 29th Infantry Division coming off Omaha Beach. Cole’s Battalion was subjected to continuous fire from artillery, machine guns, and mortars. Cole called for smoke in the dug-in Germans and ordered a bayonet charge. He charged on and his battalion followed. The German survivors retreated. His battalion suffered many casualties but persevered through strong counterattacks by the Germans. Robert G. Cole’s troops managed to break through radio jamming and called down a concentration by the entire Crops artillery that broke up the attacks for good. The Germans eventually ran out of ammunition and on June 12, Carentan was captured. Lt. Col. Cole was recommended for the Medal of Honor for his actions that day, but did not live to receive it. On September 18, 1944 during Operation Market Garden, Colonel Cole, was commanding the 3rd Battalion of the 502nd in the Netherlands, when a pilot told Colonel Cole that some orange identification panels needed to be placed in front of his position. Cole decided to do it himself. Then, Col. Cole raised his head, shielding his eyes to see the plan and suddenly a shot was fired by a German sniper only 300 yards away, killing Cole instantly. Two weeks later, Cole was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bayonet charge near Carentan. LTC Cole was survived by his wife and two-year old son who accepted the Medal of Honor on the parade ground at Fort Sam Houston. LTC Cole is buried at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, in Margraten, the Netherlands. References: ● Robert G. Cole at Find a Grave ● Art Leatherwood (June 6, 2001). “Cole, Robert G.”. Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 2007-04-28. ● LTC Robert G. Cole - Medal of Honor”, Fort Sam Houston Museum, U.S. Army. Archived from the original on 2007-01-12, Retrieved 2006-11-13. ● Ambrose, Stephen E. (1997). Citizen Soldiers. U.S.” Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-684-84801-3

Commencement Program Pledge of Allegiance ………………………….……...….….... Erica Gonzales Cole JROTC Battalion Commander Acknowledgments ……………………………………...…….... Ava Manninen Student Council President Welcome ……………………..……………………….…… Dr. Isabell Clayton Principal, Cole High School Senior Celebration Past ……………………………………………………………..... Hannah Cook National Honor Society President Present ………………………………………………………. Samuel Swofford Salutatorian Future …………………………………………………………….. Jared Gibson Valedictorian Multimedia ………………………………... Senior Class Officers and Dr. Rios Presentation of Diplomas …………………………………...… Dr. Gary Bates Superintendent, Fort Sam Houston I.S.D. Dr. Isabell Clayton Principal, Cole High School Farewell & Tassel Turn ……………………………………….... Laura DeLeon Senior Class President

Cole 2020 Commencement Broadcast

Robert G. Cole High School Class of 2020 “We congratulate our scholars as they come to the end of a journey and begin their next big adventure.” shared Dr. Isabell Clayton, Robert G. Cole Middle and High School Principal. “At Commencement, we honor their academic achievements, and while those are important, our students should also be remembered as leaders, caretakers, and innovators. COVID-19 doesn’t define our students, it highlights their perseverance, resiliency, and readiness to contribute in meaningful ways.” Photo by Brenda Marafioto

Class of 2020 Ninety-two seniors of Robert G. Cole High School’s Class of 2020 were honored in a graduation ceremony held on May 22 on the school grounds. Earning a total of $3,911,047 in scholarship offers, 42 Cole graduates were offered a total of 88 scholarships: 16 from private organizations, 59 from colleges and universities, and 13 from ROTC programs. Students shared their plans after high school that include 64 attending a 4-year college, 19 will attend a 2-year college, three plan to join the military, three will directly enter the workforce, and three will continue in an 18+ program. Erica Gonzales, Cole JROTC Battalion Commander, led graduates in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of commencement exercises. Student Council President Ava Manninen shared acknowledgements in a video from Germany. “The day has arrived. The day where we close a chapter of our lives, the one we have been writing for the last 12 years.” Thanking parents and family for their support from “continental moves to last minute forgotten projects” Manninen also thanked administrators, the school board and faculty “for making so many significant and influential decisions this year.” National Honor Society President Hannah Cook, Salutatorian Samuel Swofford, and Valedictorian Jared Gibson provided a tribute to the Senior Class titled, “The Past, Present, and Future.” Hannah Cook, National Honor Society President, explored the question asked from elementary school to high school, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Cook shared with graduates the lesson, “Life doesn’t start the minute we decide our career, it starts now. It started the minute you walked across the stage and received your diploma.” Photos by Photo Texas Photography

Class of 2020 Salutatorian Samuel Swofford, provided a view of the present sharing his thoughts on drawing on the words of Kobe Bryant. His message is to “focus on the good things.” “Though it may not be exactly how you planned it (graduation), you still need to remember to enjoy it. This is one of the few times in your life where you can feel solely responsible for achieving a goal.” Valedictorian Jared Gibson shared his views of the future with words of wisdom from Robert F. Kennedy, “Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. And in the total of all those acts, will be written the history of a generation.” Gibson told fellow graduates, “As we make small daily decisions, we can work towards changing our own lives and the lives of those around us.” Multi-media presentations created by Senior Class Historian, Erica Gonzales, and Dr. Roland Rios, Director of Technology, highlighted memorable senior moments that greatly contributed to the Cole commencement. Laura DeLeon, Senior Class President, bid the seniors Farewell with a thoughtful message and traditional Tassel Turn. “The last few months have been a whirlwind, nothing like what we expected or planned which is fitting considering we have always been told that being an adult and being on our own, things are never as expected.” She ends her message, “This is our day and we did it, so don’t let anything ruin it, not the weather, or the form of graduation because it’s a blessing nonetheless.” “As a small district, it is possible for the parents of the 54 honor graduates to present honor medals to their students personally,” stated Dr. Gary Bates, Superintendent of Schools. “It is a special moment for the families and an opportunity to honor the partnership between the parents and teachers who work together to help our students attain their highest academic goals.” Summa Cum Laude honor graduate status was earned by Jared Gibson, Mateo Noring, Samuel Swofford, and Allison Williams who all maintained a grade average of 100 or above for grades nine through twelve. Photos by Photo Texas Photography

Class of 2020 Magna Cum Laude honor graduate status was achieved by Rachel Acome, Raquelle Bennett, Hannah Cook, Amy Fajardo, Valentina Urrego, Ava Manninen, Anastasia McCants, Kara Mercer, Amy Morales, Antonio Morris, Breeaunna Whiting, Dylan Williams, and Kyra Wynn. These students maintained a grade point average of 96 to 99 for all classes taken during their four-year high school career. Thirty-seven Cole students graduated with Cum Laude honors, a distinction earned by those students who maintain a grade point average of 90 to 95 for all classes taken during their high school career. Cum Laude graduates included Victoria Abner, Grace Allbritton, Jordyn Arnette, Anthony Bender, Giyonna Bowens, Marco Burkman Flaig, Matthew Bustos, Logan Cain, Alex Cardenas, Laura DeLeon, Monica Echevarria-Acevedo, Jacob Ekberg, Nicole Estrada, Emma Garcia, Erica Gonzales, Alejandro Gonzalez, Sophia Gutierrez, Josue’ Feliciano, Oscar Hernandez, Jr, Alfonso Inciriaga III, Matthew Knell, Caitlin Kuhlman, Michael Medina, Marylee Mendoza, Alyssa Moradel, Frizelle Mumbua, Raquel Munguia, Macario Patten II, Francisco Peguero Rivera, Chase Reilly, Ian Rios, Elisia Robinson, Chandler Rybik, Russell Shoemaker, Kimberly Torres, Steven Veras, and Avea Walters. Other graduating seniors receiving the Robert G. Cole Award of Merit were Eduardo Badillo Mantilla, Jai’zon Brooks, Gavin Browning, Dillon Cackley, Aja-Bleu Dennis, Ethan Dunlap, Laizcha Flores, Emmett Gray III, Dezabre Grimsley, Dravyn Horwath, Wellington Jones, Eric Kessler, Damion Legaspe, Ethan Mahoney, Ruben Marrero-Luna, Daniel McGhee, Jermetryca McKnight, Candace Medina, Gillian Miskovsky, Eric Montanez, Erika Nova, Izabel Onsourathoum, Jacob Osuna, Cruz Palacios, Indya Pittman, Mya Pyke, Andrew Reed III, Taelor Sanchez, Ethan Sandoval, Ana Santos Martins, Sydnee Schmaljohann, Khalil Siaga, Nicholas Smith, Hailey Tobiason, Missani Tyler, Joe Ulloth, DeQuan Wilson, Alec Chadwick Wojak. Special guests attending included Brigadier General Laura L. Lenderman, Commander 502d Air Base Wing, Joint Base San Antonio, COL (Ret) Dave Lenderman, COL Samuel Fiol, Commander, 502d Force Support Group and representing the Fort Sam Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees’ Willie E. White, Jr., president. “The Robert G. Cole High School 2020 Commencement was a memorable experience that maintained traditional activities, with modifications, to include the wearing of cap, gown, and honor cords, delivery of students speeches, parent participation in placing honor medals around the neck of their graduate, walking across a stage and the receipt of their diploma,” shared Dr. Gary Bates. “In addition, Cole teachers and coaches delivered personalized yard signs to each senior, graduate pictures lined the street in front of the high school for the ceremony, multiple photo opportunities were provided, in lieu of actual hugs from teachers, graduates received individualized notes from staff in a Hug Bag, and finally, each graduate had the opportunity to ring the Victory Bell before heading home for family celebrations.”

Graduates earn $3.9 million in scholarships Victoria Aubriel Abner Embry-Riddle Army ROTC Pre-Contract Scholarship Rachel Marie Acome Texas State University Distinguished Scholarship Grace Carolyn Allbritton Daughters of the American Revolution Green Mountain Boys Chapter Jordyn Lanai Arnette Scholarship Eduardo Javier Badillo Mantilla AICW Award Raquelle Amelia Rose Bennett University of the Incarnate Word Dean’s Scholarship Mirabeau B. Lamar Award Texas State University Distinguished Scholarship University of the Incarnate Word Presidential Scholarship Marco Andreas Burkman Flaig Texas State University Distinguished Scholarship Matthew James Bustos 3-year Army ROTC Scholarship to Baylor University Logan David Cain 3-year Army ROTC Scholarship to Texas A&M University Hannah Amiyah Cook Kansas State University Herbel Family Scholarship Kansas State University Recognition Award Western Art Committee Award Laura Mia DeLeon Abilene Christian University Award Monica Andrea Echevarria-Acevedo Texas Christian University Frog Family Scholarship University of the Incarnate Word Dean’s Scholarship Nicole Marie Estrada Texas State University Distinguished Scholarship Amy Lucia Fajardo Jared Go Gibson Valero Alamo Bowl Scholarship 3-year Army ROTC Scholarship to Brigham Young University 3-year Army ROTC Scholarship to University of Utah 3-year Army ROTC Scholarship to University of Texas San Antonio Brigham Young University Academic Scholarship State of Texas Highest Ranking Graduate Scholarship St. Mary’s University Pre-Freshman Engineering Scholarship University of Texas San Antonio College of Engineering Scholarship University of Texas San Antonio Distinguished Presidential Scholarship University of Utah Academic Achievement Scholarship Valero Alamo Bowl Scholarship

Graduates earn $3.9 million in scholarships Erica Denise Gonzales 3-year Army ROTC Scholarship to Texas A&M University Emmett Albert Gray III 3-year Army ROTC Scholarship to Texas A&M University Corpus Christi 3-year Army ROTC Scholarship to The University of the Incarnate Word Abilene Christian University Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Catch the Wave Scholarship Texas A&M University Sul Ross/Corps Scholarship U.S. Army ROTC Advanced Designee Scholarship University of the Incarnate Word Provost Scholarship University of the Incarnate Word Achievement Award Oscar David Hernandez Jr St. Mary’s University Santa Maria Scholarship Alfonso Inciriaga III University of the Incarnate Word Provost Scholarship University of the Incarnate Word Provost Scholarship Eric Hunter Kessler University of the Incarnate Word Distinguished Scholarship Damion Rogelio Legaspe Bemidji State University Baseball Scholarship Briar Cliff University Academic Achievement Award Valentina Lopez Urrego Briar Cliff University Baseball Scholarship Ethan Hugh Mahoney Finlandia University Athletic Scholarship Midland University Athletic Scholarship University of La Verne Leo Scholarship University of Saint Mary Blue and Gold Scholarship University of Saint Mary Baseball Award Texas State University Distinguished Scholarship University of Texas San Antonio Bold Promise Award University of Oregon Minds Move Mountains Scholarship Ava Bliss Manninen Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Merit Scholarship Ruben Antonio Marrero-Luna University of the Incarnate Word Achievement Award Daniel Mikel McGhee Mirabeau B. Lamar Award Marylee Jane Mendoza Norwich University Provost Scholarship

Graduates earn $3.9 million in scholarships Kara Anne Mercer University of Oklahoma Sower Award University of Oklahoma Legacy Scholarship Alyssa Iris Moradel Antonio Aries Morris University of the Incarnate Word Distinguished Scholarship Frizelle Mumbua Erika Aracely Nova Baylor University Dean’s Gold Scholarship Izabel Dalilah Onsourathoum Jacob Marcos Osuna Corvias Foundation Scholarship Cruz Seferino Palacios Chase Neil Reilly AICW Award Samuel Henry Swofford University of the Incarnate Word Achievement Award Hailey May Tobiason Avea Joy Ann Walters Grand Canyon University Antelope Scholarship Breeaunna Ezieal Phylicia Hardin-Simmons University Scholarship Whiting Texas State University Distinguished Scholarship Alec William Chadwick Wojak Kyra Lorraine Wynn 4-year Army ROTC Scholarship to Duke University 4-year Army ROTC Scholarship to Wake Forest University 4-year Army ROTC Scholarship to University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Hawaii Pacific University Academic Scholarship University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Honor Scholarship University of North Texas at Dallas Blazer Scholarship 4-year Army ROTC Scholarship to Texas A&M University 4-year Army ROTC Scholarship to Texas State University Texas A&M University Keys to Aggieland Scholarship Texas A&M University Sul Ross/Corps Scholarship Northwestern College Athletic Scholarship Abilene Christian University A. B. Barret Award Abilene Christian University T.E.G. Award Southwestern University Southwestern Award Southwestern University Truman J. Odiorne Endowed Scholarship University of the Incarnate Word Provost Scholarship

Senior Awards Senior Awards Live Streamed Awards, certificates, medals, and cords were all placed in a green bag imprinted with the Cougar logo. Teachers and Coaches delivered bags to each graduate in their car along with a Chick-fil-A meal Photos by Brenda Marafioto, Mariel Gaitan-Martinez and Josie Lozano

Senior Awards Broadcast

Senior Spirit Activities Light the Night! & Senior Parade Robert G. Cole Stadium lights on for 20 minutes, the last time for the year, in honor of the Class of 2020 Photos by Brenda Marafioto and Mariel Gaitan-Martinez

Senior Class Officers, Favorites and Alma Mater SENIOR CLASS OFFICERS SENIOR CLASS FAVORITES Laura DeLeon Class Song “When Will My Life Begin” President From the Movie Tangled Raquelle Bennett Class Motto Vice President “You entered the world in the wake Frizelle Mumbua of 9/11. You graduate during a pandemic. No doubt these events Treasurer will change you.” Amy Fajardo Unknown Secretary Class Flower Erica Gonzales White Roses Historian Robert G. Cole Middle and High School Alma Mater Alma Mater hail to thee Colors Green and Gold To you we pledge our loyalty Honor to uphold. Hail to thee! Hail to thee! School that we love, And when at last we leave these halls, Hail Cole to thee!

Graduation Day … A Family Day Photos by Shannyn Romero and Eddie Hinojosa

Cole Seniors persevere, are resilient, and prepared to contribute in meaningful ways. Photos by Ginger Dodge-Quick, Brenda Marafioto, Mariel Gaitan-Martinez and Josie Lozano

Victory Bell Photo by Brenda Marafioto