“Here’s the thing about Donovan. He’s one of those students that he’s not about, ‘me, me, me,’ but he’s about, ‘what can he do to make others’ lives better, to help other students,’” said Newport Independent Schools Youth Service Center Coordinator Donna Watts.
Watts has known Newport Independent Schools student Donovan Macario-Avila since he was in seventh grade. Now a senior, Macario-Avila was named this year’s Hal Smith Scholar by the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program. The Hal Smith Award, in honor of Harold R. Smith, a Newport native and Newport High School graduate, goes to an NKY student who exemplifies leadership, service, academic excellence, and a dedication to making a positive impact.
An endowed scholar fund within the Governor’s Scholars Program is a distinguished honor awarded annually to a Governor’s Scholar upon completion of the program. Scholars selected to receive recognition through a named endowed fund are not awarded a monetary prize; rather, they are honored for their exceptional achievements, character and potential, according to the Governor’s Scholar website.
Only a select few scholars receive this recognition each year, making it one of the program’s highest honors.
“He’s magnificent,” Watts said. “He’s one of a kind. If there really are angels on earth, Donovan is one of them.”
Watts facilitates student referrals to various district programs and community service projects.
Macario-Avila is the president of the Newport chapter of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and Future Business Leaders of America, also known as FBLA. He is also the Region 7 Vice President of Competitive Events for FCCLA.
Through those organizations, Macario-Avila said he does a lot of community service. He helped gather supplies to make goodie bags for local food pantries and hosted a food drive, donating all collected items to the school’s food pantry for students.
He also participates in community service through the Brighton Center’s Youth Leadership Development Program, volunteering at Saratoga Place Apartments, one of Brighton Center’s senior living facilities. Macario-Avila spends time with senior citizens and makes goodie bags for them.
He also volunteers for his school as a translator for the Spanish-speaking families in the community. He leads tours for families and students at Newport High School (grades 7-12) and serves as a translator as needed.
Other school-based programs that he volunteers for are the Healthy Community Health Fair, the district’s coat drive, career fair, and Read Ready Newport.
“He never makes any student feel beneath him, because he’s so super intelligent, he doesn’t make students feel that way,” Watts said. “He’s always willing to help them. As a matter of fact, they approach him.”
Because of his altruisticpersonality, Macario-Avila was interviewed and selected by the Newport Board of Education to serve as its student representative earlier this year.
“I’ve been involved in Newport Schools my entire life,” Macario-Avila said. “I’ve gone to Newport preschool, I’ve gone through all the schools, and I’ve seen the changes within our school, and from the student perspective, I’ve seen what policy changes have affected us positively or negatively. I just wanted to be the student voice to bring in the student perspective of how decisions made by them (the board) were impacting students.”
Macario-Avila received the Hal Smith Award upon his completion of the Governor’s Scholar Program, which ran for five weeks over the summer. The Governor’s Scholars Program is for outstanding high school juniors in Kentucky who are entering their senior year.
Macario-Avila Murray spent his summer at Murray State University with a focus area on international relations.
Macario-Avila has applied to all eight Ivy League schools, with his top three being Yale University, Harvard University, and the University of Pennsylvania. He has already been accepted to the University of Louisville. He wants to major in political science and eventually run for office.
Watts said Macario-Avila has already done some lobbying. She said he went to bat for her in Frankfort after he learned that the family resource center’s budget was cut.
“I didn’t ask him,” Watts said. “He just said, I want to go to Frankfort.”
Macario-Avila’s big dream? President of the United States.
During Macario-Avila’s time in the Governor’s Scholar Program, several keynote speakers addressed his group. One of them was Gov. Andy Beshear.
“When Andy Beshear came to talk to us, I had the opportunity to stop him and shake his hand,” Macario-Avila said. “I told him what I wanted to do-I’m interested in politics. I eventually want to run for office as well, and I told him, ‘If you plan on running for office in 2028, I would love to be a part of your campaign.’ And he said, ‘For sure, I’ll call you.’”