Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) Signing Day was held Friday in the Tom Jack Lucas Auditorium on the Lufkin High School campus.

Superintendent Lynn Torres spoke to the crowd of 72 high school seniors, their parents and grandparents.

“I always identify with the grandparents,” she said. “Stand up and be recognized if you’re a grandparent.”

Torres explained that when the Early College High School was formed, she wanted Lufkin High School students to have choices after receiving an associate degree and becoming core complete. She feels SFA was the perfect partnership. Last year there were 50 students at SFA Signing Day. This year there were 72. Not all are ECHS students. The partnership includes a waived application fee, $5,000 for top 10% students, $3,000 for 11-25% with a 3.0, scholarship renewal opportunity, tailored campus event and assigned admission counselor.

“Thank you, SFA, for wanting to know, meet and recruit our students,” said Torres.

SFASU Provost Dr. Lorenzo Smith spoke to the students and thanked them for choosing SFA.

“The university matters, and I’m so happy you chose SFA, but really it’s about you,” he said.

He gave the students advice and encouraged them to indulge in the wonderful things at SFA.

Members of the LHS Class of 2023 who were recognized for their plans to attend SFA through the university’s Distinguished High School Program included Arely Acevedo, Anson Adams, James Adams, Erik Aguirre, Alexandra Alvarado, Camily Ayona Rios, Diego Barahona, Alexa Barrera, Paula Bautista, Abigail Bennett, Alana Blow, Michael Bourlon, Gerson Bruton, Marco Calamaco, Christian Caldera, Eric Cavanaugh, Delilah Chacon, Jermaine Coutee, Printyce Dathorne, Susana De La Paz, Tania De La Torre, Valeria Deleon, Drew Dempsey, Chandler Diggens, Savanna Durham, Amaya Elijah, Jacqueline Escobedo, Jessica Escobedo, Henry Escobedo, Miguel Escobedo, Carina Flores, Jaime Flores, Emily Garcia, Corey Hobbs, Lami Iliyasu, Halli Kruse, Hector Landero, Miah Lane, Eliana Lopez, Marcedes Martin, William Martin, Angie Martinez, Nathaniel Martinez, Mariah McFarland, Kendrick Morris, Gerard Olivares, Amarion Paige, Morgan Payne, Carlos Perez, Makayla Price, Julissa Ramirez, Maria Ramirez-Gomez, Michael Rasmussen, Andrew Rhymes, Janeli Robles, Fernanda Rodriguez, Adrian Roman, Cesar Sandoval, Cassandra Sarmiento, Ebin Smith-Williams, Oscar Solis, Matthew Stafford, Briley Stevens, Camari Taylor, Iverson Taylor, Faith Trevino, Alejandro Vazquez, Kaylor Vazquez Viacobo, Hannah White, Alexander Williams, J Shawn Wyckoff and Jonathan Zuniga.

(Photos by ANDY ADAMS/Lufkin ISD)