Bossier youth wins Louisiana Student of the Year honor

A Bossier Parish youth now has bragging rights as the best elementary school student in Louisiana.

The Louisiana Education Department named the winners of its annual Student of the Year competition during an awards ceremony Wednesday evening at the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge.

The winner in the elementary student category is fifth-grader Zachary Evans Cryer, who attends Kingston Elementary School.

One student is selected from the elementary, middle and high school levels based on academic achievement, leadership skills, character and service to their schools and community.

Cryer is president of his school's Student Council and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is a member of the 4-H Club, Robotics Team and National Elementary Honor Society, the state reports.

In the community, he volunteers with the Kingston Safety Squad, the parish's AIM program, the Cypress Baptist Church Kids Staff and the HUB Ministry.

"Through these activities, he has organized an archery tournament to benefit an ill student at a neighboring school," an Education Department statement says. "And he's planted seeds as part of a beautification project, among other efforts.
 
Cryer also plays basketball, baseball and soccer, runs cross country, competes in archery and plays piano.

In 2016, the Kiwanis Club presented him the "Terrific Kid" award.
 
Cryer hopes to one day become a biomedical engineer and design prosthetics and medical diagnostic equipment, the statement says.

His career ambition stems from his interests in robotics and science.

The state's other 2017 Students of the Year winners are Madison Elise Nelson, an eighth-grader at Ouachita Junior High School in Ouachita Parish, in the middle school category and Yehia Gamal Elkersh, a senior at St. Paul's Catholic High School, part the Archdiocese of New Orleans, in the high school category.

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