Allison Willis
Kaden Tanner
Whitney High School presented diplomas to 110 graduating seniors Friday night, May 23, at Wildcat Stadium.
This year’s top two graduates were Valedictorian Allison Renee Willis, the daughter of Mark and Colleen Willis, and Salutatorian Kaden Tanner, the son of Michael and Nicole Tanner.
Willis will attend the University of Texas at Austin and study business, with the ultimate goal of becoming an aerospace engineer.
In high school, the valedictorian has been active in track, cross country, cheer and powerlifting. She is also a member of the Yearbook Club and National Honor Society.
Her high school honors, other than graduating first in her class, include earning the Athlete of the Year Award and being named powerlifting MVP (two years) and cross country MVP.
Willis also holds a welding certification and has logged over 30 volunteer hours and over 30 dual-credit hours while in high school.
The valedictorian’s advice for next year’s seniors is, “Do not procrastinate or else you’ll be addicted to Red Bull!”
Salutatorian Kaden Tanner plans to attend Texas A&M University and study construction science and business, with the goal of becoming a construction superintendent.
During high school, Tanner has participated in football, basketball, baseball, golf, Student Council and National Honor Society.
His high school honors include being named first team all-district in football his sophomore and junior years and second team all-district his senior year. He was also named offensive MVP and earned second team academic all-state honors. In basketball, he earned the Wildcat Award and second team all-district honors. He earned second team all-state academic and all-district academic honors in baseball, and he earned academic all-state honors in golf.
Tanner’s advice for next year’s seniors is to stay focused and finish strong. “Don’t compare yourself to others,” he said. “Be yourself and follow your own path. Be a leader, not a follower. Take time to appreciate the people that supported you and enjoy every moment, because you won’t get them back.”
He added, “Don’t put off the important things like college applications and scholarships. It gets overwhelming fast. But, most importantly, make every moment count and have fun. Senior year goes by fast, and never forget: once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat!”
Other 2025 Whitney High School honor graduates are:
• Gunner Peacock, son of Lynn and Jaclyn Peacock, plans to attend Texas A&M University and major in industrial distribution
• Kyla Annette Sneed, daughter of Jason and Kara Sneed, plans to study cosmetology at Hill College and earn an Associate’s Degree in business with the goal of becoming a professional hair stylist
• Amy Villarreal, daughter of Martin Villarreal and Maria Verde, plans to earn an Associate’s Degree in nursing at McLennan Community College and then pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in nursing
• Adriana Berenice Figueroa, daughter of Fabiola Valencia and Miguel Figueroa, plans to attend McLennan Community College to major in accounting and business management before transferring to Texas A&M University
• Madison Dee Heald-Ward, daughter of Greg Ward and Amy Douthit, plans to attend Texas A&M University and become a pediatric physical therapist
• Lillie Reece Buzan, daughter of Charles and Amanda Buzan, plans to attend McLennan Community College to study nursing and continue her education to receive a Bachelor’s of Science in nursing
• Jillian Belle Milam, daughter of Chris and Heather Milam, plans to attend Texas A&M University and major in agricultural marketing and communications while minoring in business with the goal of opening her own marketing firm for small agriculture businesses in Texas
• April Mancha, daughter of Susano Mancha and Maria Patricia Mancha, plans to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio and major in biology with the goal of continuing to medical school and becoming an anesthesiologist.
The Lakelander 