Third graders Micah Perkins and Lilly Horstkamp were voted Students of the Month for March by the teachers of Velma Penny Elementary School. These students were selected based on their kindness toward others, responsibility in the classroom and general helpfulness.

“For these two students to stand out among the very best is very special indeed,” principal Monica Moore said. “Both Lilly and Micah are kind and responsible students who have a bright future ahead of them.  I am thrilled and blessed that I have had the opportunity to know them and watch them grow.”

In his free time, Perkins enjoys playing football as well as gaming on his XBox One S. Some of his favorite things include hamburgers, dogs and his “good friends.” Perkins feels as though his “life is perfect for [him].”

“[Micah] has a dynamic personality,” teacher Brenda Cardenas said. “He is one of the most polite, well-mannered kids that I know, but he still has that really kid-like personality about him. He’s super fun, and kids really look up to him.”

Horstkamp lives at home with her parents, sister and dog named Maggie. When she’s at home, Horstkamp enjoys reading and playing video games. This year, Horstkamp was a member of the Mindset Breaking team as well as a medalist at the Academic Rodeo Youth Fashion Show.

“Lilly is a precious young lady,” teacher Sheila Germany said. “She always pushes herself to do her best and does that in every area. She wants everybody to be happy, so if she sees someone that’s unhappy, whether it’s on the playground or in the lunchroom, she’ll always go over to them and try to help them to have a better day.”

Germany and Cardenas teach both students, and they each played a part in the selection process. This is the first time for Students of the Month to be chosen, and teachers nominated several students for the honor. Once students were nominated, all teachers voted to finalize the results.

“Their faces just lit up,” Cardenas said. “When they came back [from the office], they just had these smiles on their faces, and they were really excited. You can tell that it meant something to them, and the other kids get to hear that too, so they know they’ll have an opportunity to get that kind of attention.”