Tracey Kovach has an unstoppable imagination. Her dreams include becoming a singer and working for NASA to discover new planets.
The Socorro Independent School District offers many exciting opportunities that allow Tracey to explore all her interests, starting with Destination Imagination.
In April, Tracey, a fifth grader at Loma Verde Elementary School, and her teammates headed to Texas DI’s Lone Star Finals at the University of Texas at Arlington after winning regionals in the competition’s engineering challenge. This was the first time Tracey had participated in DI.
“I was looking to try something new and decided to give it a shot,” said Tracey, who also competes in UIL events Music Memory and Social Studies. “It turned out to be something amazing! I wasn't expecting us to go that far!”
In recognition of her outstanding accomplishments, Tracey was selected to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the Socorro ISD Board of Trustees regular meeting in April.
In DI, students work in teams to solve open-ended STEAM challenges designed to teach the creative process. Teams are tested to think on their feet, collaborate with their peers, and devise original solutions that satisfy the requirements of the challenges. Twelve SISD DI teams advanced to this year’s state competition.
Tracey's team, the Leonardo da Vinci Juniors, participated in the engineering challenge called “Going the Distance.” Their task was to create a device that could launch beanbags and tell a story about what happens when things do not go as planned. The team decided to build a catapult, which they integrated into a skit about children playing cornhole. They started by researching Leonardo da Vinci, who designed a single-arm and double-arm catapult.
Although the team did not advance to DI’s Global Finals, Tracey said the experience was about learning new things and having fun.
“It’s fine,” Tracey said. “We came a long way and we practiced. We made some good friends, and it's just about having fun.”
Tracey's positive attitude has made her stand out from the rest of the class. Her willingness to step out of her comfort zone and try new experiences has helped to build her confidence.
“That’s what I like about these programs, and I like for her to get involved,” said Nancy Kovach, Tracey’s mom. “It’s good experience for her, and it just pushes her. I wish I had those opportunities when I was in school.”
Aside from DI, Tracey is excited about competing in the UIL Music Memory contest in April, which requires students to listen to up to 20 musical selections for approximately 20 seconds each and write down the name of the major work, selection, and composer. Spelling and punctuation are critical to the competition, which can be challenging for Tracey, who has dyslexia. Nevertheless, she continues to seize new opportunities every chance she gets.
“There's so many dyslexic people like (actors) Tom Holland and Jennifer Aniston, who made it so far in life,” said Tracey, who works with Cynthia Dominguez, the school’s dyslexia service provider four afternoons a week. “So, if they can make it, I know I can. Dyslexia is something that shouldn’t stop a student from doing anything they want.”
Marisol Minjarez, who is Tracey's DI and Music Memory team manager and a special education Pre-K collab teacher, said that Tracey's optimism was one of her best characteristics.
“She’s very positive, and I love that about her,” Minjarez said. “She's a very positive person. She knows she's going to have a harder time learning things, but she's willing to take the challenge.”
Outside of school, Tracey plays soccer, takes karate and enjoys being a Girl Scout. She has developed a passion for science and was excited to see the 2024 eclipse.
“It just looked amazing,” Tracey said about the eclipse. “I love to learn about the planets, the Earth’s rotation and revolution, and about the moon.”
This upcoming fall, she’s looking forward to meeting her new teachers at John Drugan School, joining the choir, theater and orchestra, and learning to play the cello.
"I can't believe I'm growing up so fast," Tracey said. "Just a few years ago, I was a kindergartener here (at Loma Verde), and now I'm already a fifth grader. This school has been amazing!"