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Livingston Parish Announces Students of Year
LIVINGSTON, LA -- Livingston Parish Public Schools has announced those top student winners for the 2024-2025 school year.
The Elementary Student of the Year is Piper Howes, a fifth grader at Holden School; the Middle School Student of the Year is Christopher Godso, III, an eighth grader at North Corbin Junior High; and the High School Student of the Year is Zachary McMenis, a senior at Live Oak High School.
The winners were nominated by their schools, and they competed against other Student of the Year winners from throughout the district. As representatives for Livingston Parish Public Schools, they will compete at the state’s regional competition for the opportunity to become a finalist for the Louisiana Department of Education’s top award.
Piper Howes
Howes is the 10-year-old daughter of Chance and Maegan Howes. She is a member of her school’s basketball, softball and track teams. She also is training in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the tutelage of Professor Kurt Holobaugh. Howes enjoys reading “realistic fiction” and history, and she is very involved with programs at First Baptist Church of Hammond.
She also enjoys helping her dad’s family at their dairy farm, as those experiences teach her about the importance of small farms, how to keep the cows healthy and how to operate some of the farm’s equipment.
“Seeing how hard they work to provide for others is pretty cool,” Howes stated in her application. “Working on the farm has taught me work ethic, responsibility and just how important small farms are.”
Christopher Godso, III
Godso enjoys competing in youth wrestling, a sport he began when he was 3 years old. Over the past 10 years, he has won 15 state championships in three different styles of wrestling – Folkstyle, Freestyle and Greco-Roman. Twice, he has been named an All-American wrestler – in 2019, after winning the Adidas National Championship; and this past year, when he went undefeated in the Greco-Roman 14U National Duals. He is captain of the Walker Thundercast Wrestling Academy. Godso said he hopes to pursue his wrestling competition throughout high school, and hopefully, into college.
“Wrestling teaches you class and how to be graceful. You learn how to both win and lose with class and to hold your head high. You learn humility through wrestling, and that you will not always win,” he wrote in his application.
“You can learn in wrestling that you will face many challenges, and life will never stop coming at you, but it is yourself and your own will that will decide if you bounce back and fight, or if you will lay down and let bad things happen to you,” Godso stated.
Godso also plays football for his school team, where he was named captain this year. He is involved in his church and is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and BETA clubs. He is the 13-year-old son of Christopher Godso Jr. and Alisabeth Godso, and Audrey Lachney.
Zachary McMenis
McMenis has always enjoyed striving for academic excellence. Throughout elementary and middle school, he participated in the district’s Gifted and Talented programs and maintained straight A’s in his coursework. In high school, he opted to take Advanced Placement classes in a variety of subjects, with a focus on those in history. He has participated in several history and social studies competitions.
“I applied my love of history to something that could bring enjoyment to others. In my own personal time, I created a modification of a popular game called Hearts of Iron IV,” McMenis shared on his application. “Initially a strategy game about WW2, I learned to code the game and change its content to reflect the Victorian period and the American Civil War. This project is currently progressing and is in its 3rd year of development.”
McMenis has been named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist for his academic achievement, placing him among the top 1% of the students across the nation.
He participates in several service clubs at his school, including the Ambassador’s Club, BETA Club, Key Club, FCA Club and P7Club. McMenis also plays the tuba in the LOHS Krewe of Blue marching and concert bands.
McMenis is the son of James and Carol McMenis and Jennifer and Scott Griggs.
The three Livingston Parish Students of the Year will be formally recognized at the district’s celebration of excellence gala in the spring. Those students who were named Students of the Year for their campus will also be recognized.