March 2023 Superintendent’s Superstar
President Barack Obama said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
That quote is Thomas’s favorite and so far, he has lived his life by it. His efforts to serve others and to change the world for better are just beginning. Thomas prides himself on developing fresh and innovative solutions to common problems. As a freshman, he arrived at Edison to find that there was no infrastructure for the school’s student leadership. Because of this, he and a friend created “Home Base,” a three-day camp for incoming leadership students to learn the basics of school event planning, meeting etiquette and graphic design. When the school’s newly renovated gym needed a name, he, along with a group of students, led the charge to name it. They were awarded the California State Seal of Civic Engagement for their efforts.
Thomas is most proud of teaching underserved youngsters to swim and the work he has done in the community by collecting and donating toys and clothes. With the Jack and Jill of America Teen Group, he donated more than $3,000 for swimming lessons and mobile libraries to children in West Fresno.
Thomas believes in the power of education and his incredible allegiance to the pursuit of knowledge has ensured that he is currently slated to graduate No. 1 in his senior class with a GPA of 4.32. In addition, he is an Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor and currently serves as Vice President of the Associated Student Body. He has twice been named Leadership Student of the Year and he currently serves as Co-President of the Rise Up mentoring program where he mentors students in Advanced Placement and Honors Classes.
Thomas is currently the Captain of his Leadership Class, Captain of the Speech Team, Captain of the Snare Drum Section and Social Justice Chair of the Black Student Union. He has earned a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo and he is a Varsity Member of the water polo, swim and dive teams. For several years, he has participated in the Fresno Unified School District Black History Program as part of a jazz combo and in other roles. Thomas plays alto saxophone in the school concert band and he also plays piano, electric guitar and ukulele.
Most recently, he was awarded a Senior of Distinction plaque at the Office of the Fresno County Superintendent of School’s African American Student Leadership Conference and he is incredibly proud that he had an opinion piece on how “Teens Can Defeat Institutional Racism” printed in The Fresno Bee. In addition, he was commended for Outstanding Defense Team Member, MVP and Achievement in FCSS’s 41st annual Mock Trial Competition.
