The Board of Education of Charles County recognized seven students at its March 11 meeting for outstanding achievements. Students honored included fifth graders Grant Chappelle of Walter J. Mitchell and Myriam Tchameu Peuwe of Mary B. Neal elementary schools; eighth graders Samy Arib of Mattawoman Middle School and Donovan Prince of the Phoenix International School of the Arts (PISOTA); and seniors Makaila Lowe of the Robert D. Stethem Educational Center and Christian Muschette of North Point and Neyko Silver of Henry E. Lackey high schools.

Students are recognized for academic achievement, career readiness or personal responsibility. Silver was scheduled to be honored in January but couldn’t attend due to a scheduling conflict. He was not able to attend the March meeting. Lowe was to be recognized at February’s Board meeting but due to inclement weather, recognition was canceled. 

Chappelle was honored for academic achievement. He has attended Mitchell since kindergarten and has since earned a place on the principal’s honor roll or honor roll every quarter. Chappelle was identified for gifted services in the second grade for reading and math and is now an accelerated math student. He earned a distinguished learner level on the math portion of the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP). When Chappelle was in fourth grade, he was a member of the math team and placed second in the competition. He is a member of Mitchell’s Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) team which placed first in the competition in the Expanding Structures challenge. He also plays the trombone in the school band.

Tchameu Peuwe has been on Neal’s honor roll since she started school there in the third grade. “She is a dedicated and hardworking student who shows kindness and respect toward her peers and teachers,” Neal Principal Mike Hoffman said. “Every morning, Myriam makes it a point to check in on her teachers, demonstrating her caring nature and initiative.” Tchameu Peuwe was recognized for personal responsibility. As she is quick to help classmates without being prompted, exemplifying strong leadership skills. “Myriam is trustworthy, responsible and consistently turns in assignments on time,” Hoffman said. She advocates for her own education by asking for extra work and looking for new challenges. She is a safety patrol and sets a good example for her peers to follow. “She goes out of her way to connect with students who may feel isolated, making friends everywhere she goes,” Hoffman said. During her free time, Tchameu Peuwe enjoys dancing and singing. 

Arib was recognized for academic achievement. He started at Mattawoman as a sixth-grade student and has earned straight A’s while taking honors classes. He is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and has participated in Math Counts competition and the chess club.  He is interested in studying civil engineering in college.

Prince has attended PISOTA for the past two years and has consistently earned a spot on the high honor roll. This led to him being honored for academic achievement. His current GPA is 3.95. He is described as studious, confident and a true leader. “Donovan has proven to be a take-charge person who is able to successfully develop strong ideas and implement them effectively,” R. Demetri Sermons, Ed.D., PISOTA principal, said. “Supporting the needs of other scholars is a strength for Donovan where he has a positive influence and relates well to the needs of his peers.” Prince supports new and returning students who may be struggling academically and has assisted with the school’s athletic programs by recruiting his peers to participate. Prince is also active in the choral program — he is often tapped to be a featured vocalist — and encourages other students to join to help grow membership numbers. 

Lowe attends Stethem for the pharmacy technician program, splitting her school day between the center and Westlake High School. She currently has a 4.35 GPA and has several honors level and Advanced Placement (AP) classes under her belt. Recognized for academic achievement, Lowe is ranked in the top 10% of her graduating class and serves as the president of Stethem’s National Technical Honors Society. She is the treasurer for the Class of 2025 at Westlake and is a member of SkillsUSA. Recently, she was selected to represent Charles County in the U.S. Presidential Scholars for Career and Technical Education program. Outside of the classroom, Lowe is a member of the varsity dance, lacrosse and field hockey teams. She is active in the community by working on research through the American Chemical Society. Her research focuses on the synthesis and structural characterization of organotin complexes using ionic bonding characteristics.

Muschette was honored for career readiness which he has demonstrated throughout high school. He has achieved a 4.27 GPA while taking a rigorous class load, including AP courses in social studies, English, mathematics and fine arts and has been on the principal’s honor roll since freshman year.  North Point. Muschette is a member of the National Honor Society, the varsity soccer team, the varsity indoor track and field and the varsity outdoor track and field teams. His goal after high school is to attend a four-year university to pursue a degree in illustration with thoughts of minoring in animation.

While Silver was not present at the meeting, Lackey Principal Cheryl K. Davis spoke of his accomplishments. Now a senior at Lackey, Silver started his freshman year attending school virtually due to the pandemic. Like many students, he struggled with virtual learning, Davis said. Silver ended ninth grade with zero credits and when he returned to school for in-person learning, he continued to struggle with his grades, discipline and attendance. Silver made poor choices as an underclassman which could have derailed his success, according to Silver. “Neyko has completely turned himself around,” she said. He is now an honor roll student and well on his way to graduating with honor roll status. Silver earned all A’s and B’s during the first and second quarter of senior year. This is a far cry from the days when teachers referred him to his assistant principal for class cutting or behaviors that disrupted the learning environment. For more than a year now, Silver has not been referred to an administrator for any reason and his conduct has been exemplary. Silver said that after he got in trouble for something outside of school, it opened his eyes that he wanted to make positive changes. Silver was invited to meet with Dr. Maria V. Navarro, superintendent of schools, and Charles County Sheriff Troy Barry as part of a youth advisory council. “He was honest and vocal, sharing his experiences as a student in Charles County Public Schools and the wider Charles County community,” Davis said. 

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 28,162 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.  CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).