Ava Taylor
Senior, Cypress Ranch High School
Equestrian Competitor
“Ava has always been an old soul. Her maturity, level of responsibility and accountability, as well as compassion for others has been demonstrated since an early age,” said Jennifer Pringle Taylor, mother of Cypress-area superstar Ava Taylor. “She expects high results and achievements from herself, and when she sometimes doesn’t meet those, she gets back up and tackles it from a different angle.”
Ava began horseback riding at Little Bay Farm in Cypress at the age of six and has since represented the city in horseback riding competitions at the regional and national levels. Beyond riding, Ava works hard to balance her time between her interests and a rigorous honors and AP school schedule.
“Her dedication, compassion and work ethic make her so special,” remarked Jennifer. “School has always been her number one priority, followed closely by riding. Her ability to balance a challenging school course load alongside a rigorous training schedule is incredible.”
Her impressive list of competitive awards continues to grow. Most recently, she and her horse, Optimal Hastak, a Swedish Warmblood, were named Zone 7 Horse of the Year by United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) for the 2023-24 season for 1.10/1.15 meter jumper division. Zone 7 consists of Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Prior to becoming a horse jumper, Ava participated in the discipline called “horse eventing”. During her Freshman year, she qualified for and rode in the American Eventing Championships, where she finished 8th in the nation in her division.
To Mom Jennifer, Ava’s work ethic was evident early on. Ava attended school and then would go immediately to the barn to care for and ride her horse(s) five to six days a week for the past ten years. Ava also carved out time to help raise money for a good cause, as a freshman, she started a small business making cocoa bombs and cookies with half of her profits going towards a non-profit called The Laurel’s Army Foundation, which raises money for research at Texas Children’s Cancer Center. Following graduation, Ava plans to stay in Texas and study business at a Texas university.
“Ava’s finest qualities are her empathy, kindness, honesty and a strong work ethic,” added Jennifer. “She has always had a high level of care and compassion for others.”
Taylor Jo Gavin
7th Grade, Sprague Middle School
Taekwondo Olympic Hopeful
“Since Taylor Jo was very young, she’s always given a hundred percent. As a toddler, she wasn’t a fan of dance class because the other kids weren’t listening,” said Crystal Gavin, mother of Cypress-area teen Taylor Jo Gavin. “I thought it was cute and funny at the time, but looking back, I think it was just the beginning of her personality coming out, she was a perfectionist very young.”
Taylor Jo began her career in Taekwondo at the age of six, under the instruction of Grand Master McCloskey at Young Brothers Taekwondo. She started competing in 2018 with Master De Los Reyes, and by 2023 had earned her 2nd Dan Black Belt and in late 2023, she joined the G-Force competition team at The Houston Center for Taekwondo to continue her Olympic Sparring career.
Taylor Jo has racked up a stunning seventeen medals and has earned impressive titles such 2025 US Open two-time gold-medalist, 2025 gold-medalist at the Canada Open, gold medalist at the USAT team trials, earning a spot on the World Cadet team representing the USA, and many other accolades. Her next goal? She’s looking for support to pursue her dreams to make the Olympic team in 2028.
“In addition to her medals, Taylor Jo is a distinguished honors student, maintaining grades while traveling throughout the US and the World,” says Crystal Gavin. “She’s representing the USA for the USA Taekwondo National Team and the AAU National Team. She’s ranked 9th in the world (winning 9 of the 10 registered fights, the 1 she lost was 3rd place).”
Taylor will represent the USA in May at Cadet Worlds in Fujairah UAE. This is the Olympic equivalent for her age in a non-Olympic year. Taylor Jo is part of team G-Force, which has a non-profit called G-Force Achieve that supports elite athletes. The goal of G-Force Achieve is to have four world-class taekwondo athletes qualify for World and/or Olympic competition by 2028. Together with support from G-Force Achieve, family and from the community, Crystal is hopeful that they can take Taylor Jo to the Olympics.
“Taylor Jo is a leader always striving for excellence and will push her teammates. She has two very close teammates and friends with whom she trains daily,” added Crystal. “She is a highly confident young woman, particularly in the context of her sport. She exhibits a strong sense of self-assurance and executes with precision. I can remember when she earned her first gold medal in a large tournament, the grand prix in 2023 and the look on her face was like ‘I can do this’. And it was that moment that we realized that this was her calling. This was her thing.”
Bitiah Binoj
University of Texas at Austin
Academic and Creative Excellence
“Even without formal training, she always exhibited an exceptional gift in her artistic endeavors,” said Bincy Binoj, Mother of Cypress-area phenom Bitiah Binoj. “Given any type of writing utensil and a sheet of paper, she would yearn to create with stunningly unexpected results.”
Bitiah’s talents extend far beyond her creative pursuits. With a list of awards and accolades as long as the day, Binoj boasts a stellar combination of strong academic achievements, diverse leadership experiences, active involvement in extracurricular activities and community service, and a demonstrated capacity for embracing new challenges.
Bitiah was recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program with a Letter of Commendation and received the AP Scholar Award. In addition to academic excellence, Bitiah has extensive extracurricular and leadership positions including Integration Manager for NASA High School Aerospace Scholars, President and Vice President of the Art Club, Leader of the Mural Committee, and Historian for the National English Honors Society. She has also participated in STEM-related programs like NASA High School Aerospace Scholars and the University of Texas’ My Introduction To Engineering.
“Bitiah has actively engaged in various community service activities,” remarked Bincy. “These include volunteering at her church, participating in environmental cleanup initiatives with the Cy-Ranch Ecological Alliance, contributing to the Cypress Ranch Mural Committee, and bringing joy to others through the Music Therapy Club and Art Club.”
Her leadership and academic successes are matched by her artistic abilities and talents, and she’s earned accolades for her craft. She won 1st place in the Pearl Fincher High School Division and was a two-time Gold Medalist at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo School Art Program, with two of her pieces auctioned at price. Additionally, she was selected to be featured on the CFISD Visual and Performing Arts Center Billboard and received multiple Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She’s a National Champion in Visual Design for the FBLA National Leadership Conference as well as first place for Graphic Design at the Texas State Conference. Bitiah is also a great stage performer and has participated in many live musical and theatrical performances, in addition to pursuing her love of playing drums. Bitiah is currently pursuing a degree in Engineering at University of Texas in Austin.
“Bitiah’s finest qualities include her exceptional academic aptitude, strong leadership skills, significant artistic talent and recognition, dedication to community service, and a remarkable capacity for personal growth and adaptability,” said Bincy.