WESTMINSTER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 29, 2026--
The Austin Centers for Exceptional Students (“The ACES”), a special education school serving students with diverse academic and behavioral needs in Arizona and Colorado, today announced Idalis French, speech-language pathologist at The ACES Westminster, Colorado campus, as the 2026 recipient of the annual Francie Austin Award. French was selected out of 675 employees across six campuses in Arizona and Colorado for her dedication, professionalism, consistency, tireless work ethic, and commitment to going above and beyond in support of students and colleagues.
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The annual Francie Austin Award is presented to a The ACES team member who best exemplifies the mission, values, and culture of the organization.
French’s impact extends far beyond her immediate role. Throughout the past year, her consistency, deep knowledge, and collaborative spirit have strengthened teams, built confidence among staff, and helped establish meaningful support systems for students, teachers, and families. Through thoughtful planning and organization, she has also played a key role in ensuring new team members felt welcomed, prepared, and supported from day one. Her contributions made a lasting and measurable impact across the campus community.
“Idalis represents the very best of what we strive for at The ACES,” said Brad Trout, M. Ed., Principal, The ACES in Westminster, Colorado. “Her professionalism, kindness, and unwavering commitment to our students and staff are evident in everything she does. She has helped create an environment where people feel supported, encouraged, and successful, and her impact can be felt across every part of our campus.”
“Being this year’s recipient of the Francie Austin Award has been incredibly validating and meaningful. I have found my purpose in helping some of our most vulnerable students reach their full potential. I joined the Austin Centers because I wanted to be part of that mission. Receiving this award is an honor. More than anything, this recognition provides reassurance that I’m making a meaningful impact,” said Idalis French, speech-language pathologist at The ACES. “The work of supporting the complex and incredible children at the ACES requires immense dedication, perseverance, and heart. Much of that work happens behind the scenes and often goes unseen, and there is always more to be done. I am committed to learning, growing, and advocating for the students and families we serve—and I’m excited for what lies ahead.”
About The Austin Centers for Exceptional Students
The ACES is a specialized education provider in Arizona and Colorado dedicated to supporting students with unique academic and behavioral needs through individualized learning programs. With a focus on helping students overcome challenges and achieve their goals, The ACES offers a structured, supportive environment designed to foster growth, resilience, and long-term success.
The school’s multidisciplinary teams address students’ academic, emotional, and behavioral development, supported by a low student-to-staff ratio that enables personalized attention. Serving families across more than 100 school districts and charter schools, The ACES is committed to helping students build the skills needed to thrive and transition successfully to less restrictive environments. At The ACES, student achievement remains the top priority, with every aspect of the program designed to help each learner succeed with confidence and opportunity.
Idalis French, Speech-Language Pathologist
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rising Monday and recovering some of their losses from a rare losing week.
The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% after erasing a midmorning stumble and was on track to break a five-day losing streak. It’s coming off just its second losing week in the last 13. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 243 points, or 0.5%, as of 11:45 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.4% higher.
Comcast helped lead the way and jumped 6.6% after saying it will split off its NBCUniversal media business and Sky from its broadband and wireless business. Its stock came into the day with a loss of 17.3% for the year so far.
Several stocks boosted by the artificial-intelligence boom also rose after Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix said they will invest roughly $518 billion in a new chipmaking hub in South Korea, as its president hopes to capitalize on surging AI demand.
Applied Materials, whose equipment helps make semiconductors, rallied 10.9% to bring its gain for the year so far to roughly 170%.
AI stocks have been on a roller-coaster ride recently after soaring to tremendous heights. They’re under pressure because of worries that their profits can’t possibly keep pace with the huge gains for their stock prices. And the drops have an outsized effect on investors because AI stocks have become some of Wall Street’s largest and most influential, giving them more weight on indexes than others.
SpaceX, which owns the xAI business along with rockets, has already become worth more than $2 trillion after its stock made its debut on the Nasdaq earlier this month, with sharp rises and falls along the way. It’s become big enough that Nasdaq said Elon Musk’s company will join the Nasdaq 100 index before trading begins on July 7, which will force funds tracking the index to buy the stock.
SpaceX rose 1.9%.
That helped offset a 7% drop for Verizon Communications, which said it's paying $625 million as part of a deal to combine its international wireline connectivity and managed network services business with some of London-based BT Group's subsidiaries in a joint venture.
The gains for the stock market came even though oil prices rose. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.6% to $73.77, pulling slightly above where it was before the war with Iran began. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 1.9% to $70.57.
Following attacks across the Persian Gulf over the weekend, President Donald Trump said Monday on social media that Iran had requested a meeting with U.S. counterparts, though one of Iran’s top negotiators said no further talks had been scheduled.
The hope is that an end to the war with Iran will give oil tankers full access again to the Strait of Hormuz, allowing them to exit the Persian Gulf and deliver crude to customers worldwide. That would help lower the price of oil, whose jumps because of the war have sent a punishing wave of inflation around the world.
If oil prices do recede and stay low enough, it could keep enough pressure off inflation to allow the Federal Reserve and other central banks to keep interest rates steady or even cut them instead of hiking them. Higher interest rates can keep a lid on inflation, but they also slow the economy and hurt prices for all kinds of investments. High yields worldwide have been rattling investors since oil prices burst above $100 per barrel.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.37% from 4.38% late Friday and from 4.56% early this month.
In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed across Europe and Asia.
Stocks jumped 1.6% in Hong Kong and 1.2% in Shanghai for two of the world’s biggest gains, while South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.2%.
AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.
Specialist Philip Finale works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Ravi Bhandari, left, works with fellow options traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Media cover near the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won and the Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (KOSDAQ) at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A dealer stands near the screen showing the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A member of media looks at the screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A huge screen shows the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at a dealing room of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
