Inspiring Excellence: Skylar Hoindo Leads More Than Announcements at Tuscaloosa’s Arcadia Elementary

INSPIRING EXCELLENCE: Townsquare Media is partnering with Tuscaloosa City Schools, Child Abuse Prevention Services and the Tuscaloosa Police Department to highlight and recognize one Inspiring Excellence Student Of The Month from each of the 21 schools in the district during the 2024-2025 school year. Every month, a few outstanding TCS students will be highlighted in this series until an award is presented at every school.

Staff at Tuscaloosa's Arcadia Elementary School recognized a fifth grader with the confidence of someone twice her age during a ceremony with her classmates in their gym Tuesday.

Her proud principal Gladys Wright said Skylar Hoindo earned the honor by bravely setting an example for the rest of "the Little Stampede" every day.

"You know every day we talk about being respectful, responsible, resourceful and resilient, and boys and girls, I must say this person exhibits all of those characteristics and a lot of you do, too!" Wright said.

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Hoindo, either unaffected by or having overcome the ultra-common fear of public speaking, leads the school every day as Arcadia's morning announcer, greeting the faculty, staff and students and then leading the school body in the Pledge of Allegiance as well as a recitation of the school oath, The Stampede Way.

Hoindo was presented with a certificate from Townsquare Media, a gift from CAPS and recorded a message with the Big Dawg Dre Day that will air this month on Townsquare's eight local radio stations.

"I've been going here since I was 5, and I know I've been a good student but I didn't know it was going to be me until [the principal] called my name, I was really surprised," Hoindo said.

The 5th grader said she loves to dance, draw and crochet, with an eye on becoming a professional ballerina as an adult.

She got to spend time with her dad after the ceremony and said having family support is a big part of what makes her inspire excellence in others.

"It's important because I know I have people there who can support me and be proud of me," Hoindo said. "I'm really nice to people, I get good grades, I respect teachers and teachers trust me to do things."

For more Inspiring Excellence profiles from other TCS schools this year, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.