Commencement for the Salado High School Class of 2021 will be 7 p.m. May 28 at the Mayborn Campus Center at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor.

SHS has named its top two graduating seniors: Valedictorian Amy Manning and Salutatorian Nena Vero.

Valedictorian Amy Manning

Amy Manning is the Valedictorian of the Salado High School Class of 2021, graduating with a final grade point average of 112.50294. She is the daughter of Will and Kris Manning of Salado and has been attending school here since Kindergarten.

She has an older sister, Kayla, who is in her third year at Harvard University. Her grandparents are the late Norman and Shirley Manning of Taylor and Brenda and Ellery Friess of Temple.

While attending SHS, she took honors courses in the following: AP World History, AP US History, AP Government and Politics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Biology, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB, AP Language & Composition, AP Literature & Composition, AP Computer Science Principles.

She also took the OnRamps Chemistry course for dual credit with the University of Texas at Austin, where she will attend to study Computational Engineering in the Honors Engineering College there. She will pursue a career in the technology industry. 

Manning has been busy in her four years at Salado. She is the founder and President of Women Engaged in Learning and Leading STEM (WELL STEM) in Salado. She was a member and Ambassador for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She was president and Historian of the Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society. She served on the Central Texas Conference Council on Youth Ministries. She was inducted in the National Honor Society in 2018. She attended Camp Invention and served as a Leadership Intern in 2018 and 2019.

She is a pianist and vocalist the Youth Praise Band of the Salado United Methodist Church.

She was a member of the Salado Youth Leadership council in 2018-2020.  She was also a member of ASTRA, a branch of Altrusa. 

She played club volleyball, high school varsity volleyball and coached for the Salado Youth Volleyball League.

She earned First Team All-District Volleyball honors three years running and was named the SHS Volleyball Offensive MVP. She was also named to the TGCA Academic All State Team. She had Academic All District honors four years running. She was the varsity volleyball team captain her senior year.

She also had lettered in basketball and band and competed in UIL Academics.

Manning placed second in district in Mathematics her senior year and was a member of the first place team in District. She was a member of the math team that took first in region and third in state in 2019.

Manning is a 2020 AP Scholar with Honor Award winner for her scores on the advanced placement tests: 3 in World History, Spanish Language and Culture, English Language and Composition and Biology and 4 in US History and Statistics.

Her favorite memories from Salado High are “winning a five-set volleyball match versus Burnet and winning Homecoming queen later that night” and “Late-night basketball scrimmages at the low-water bridge in Mill Creek with friends.”

She says that Mrs. Leiskau has “played an instrumental part in my high school career because she was the sponsor of the Women in STEM club I started freshman year. I’ve known her since eighth grade and we also attend the same church so you could say she’s really watched me evolve into the person I am today. Other than Mrs. Leiskau, I am very appreciative of all of my teachers and coaches who advised and encouraged me throughout my entire high school career.”

Manning will work over the summer as a crew member at Glen Lake, a Christian summer camp in Glen Rose.

Salutatorian Nena Vero

Nena Vero is the Salutatorian of the Salado High School Class of 2021, graduating with a final grade point average of 110.70781. She is the daughter of Deborah and Emmanuel Vero. Her older sister Sylvia is a graduate of Texas A&M.

Nena has attended Salado schools since the sixth grade. 

She ran track her freshman and sophomore years. Vero was inducts into the National Honor Society as a sophomore and joined Salado Youth Leadership her senior year.

Vero was the reporter for Salado HOSA her sophomore year and has competed in HOSA events for three year. She and Emma Madsen qualified for state for the HOSA Forensic Science event her junior year.

She has volunteered for the American Red Cross at Fort Hood since she was a freshman.

She helped with the Children’s Summer Reading Program at the Casey Memorial Library her freshman year.

Her junior year, she served as a Service to the Armed Forces Military Hospital.

She volunteered in various departments at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, including the occupational health and pain management clinics, the physical therapy gym, and eventually throughout the emergency department.

With the onset of the pandemic, she joined the American Red Cross Youth Ambassador Program for virtual presentations and projects with fellow Youth Ambassadors overseen by the Regional Engagement Specialist.

At Salado High, Vero took the following Honors courses:  AP World History, AP Biology, AP Computer Science AP, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Statistics, AP United States History, AP English Language and Composition, AP Calculus, AP United States Government and Politics, AP Macroeconomics and AP English Literature and Composition.

She also took the OnRamps College Chemistry with dual enrollment between Salado High School and the University of Texas at Austin.

She will attend Texas A&M University this fall, majoring in Biomedical Sciences. “Gig ‘em!” she exclaims.

She will pursue the medical field to focus on endocrinology. Alternatively, she may establish a career related to chemistry.

“In college,” she says, “I really hope to join the Apprentice Doctor-Medical Chapter for on-campus medical training!”

“My favorite memories from Salado High School are our team morale at track meets and learning alongside driven peers,” she said.

“Attending Salado ISD kept me ambitious as the community adheres to a distinguished standard of excellence on both educational and personal levels,” Vero said.

“I have two favorite teachers in SHS,” she said. “Mrs. Kessler because she loves her students and teaches with an upbeat energy, and Mrs. Leiskau because her classes provided me with an excellent foundation for science.”

“This summer,” she concludes, “I hope to visit some U.S. coastlines and to spend time with family and friends before college begins!”