Thirty-three Jefferson High School students earned prestigious academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. These programs celebrate students' hard work in high school and showcase their strong academic performance. The academic honors for rural area, Black, Indigenous, and/or Latino students are an opportunity for students to share their strong academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs that are seeking to recruit diverse talent.
These outstanding students received the academic honor in one or more of four categories: National African American Recognition Award (NAARA), National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA), National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA) and National Indigenous Award (NIA).
Students receiving national recognition include: Abigail Foreman, Abigail Siler, Alexander Smith, Alexandra Thomason, Aubrielle Caldwell, Ava Nilsen, Benjamin Dorough, Caitlyn Chapman, Caleb Rudisill, Carter Fuller, Charles Benson, Christopher Law, Emmaline Garrison, Gabrielle Theberge, Isabella Jube, Jacob Farley, Jolie Guenther, Josie Fuller, Katherine Dunagan, Kaytlin Johnson, Kelin Relefourd, Kiley Powell, Maggie Scarborough, Mary Nguyen, Mikayla Burrage, Nicole Mavente, Raya Phillips, Rebecca Her, Ryan Fuller, Serena Patel, Tyler Neilson, Tyler Frazier, and Wyatt Meyers
"We are proud to commemorate the achievements of our students and applaud their remarkable efforts, says Dr. Donna McMullan, superintendent of Jefferson City Schools. “Their exceptional academic achievements within the classroom and their outstanding performance in esteemed assessments such as the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10 and AP exams are a great source of pride. Our students possess a multitude of distinctive qualities that set them apart. This accolade serves as a reaffirmation of these qualities as valuable assets that will help shape their future."
The criteria for eligible students include a GPA of 3.5 or higher, PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 assessment scores that are within the top 10% of assessment takers in each state for each award program or earned a score of 3 or higher on 2 or more AP Exams in 9th and 10th grade and attend a school in a rural area or small town or identify as African American/Black, Hispanic American/Latino or Indigenous/Native.
Eligible students are encouraged to apply through BigFuture during their sophomore or junior year and are awarded at the start of the next school year in time to share their achievements in high school as they plan for the future. At the same time, colleges and organizations using College Board’s student search service can connect directly with awardees during the recruitment process.
“It’s becoming increasingly hard for students to be ‘seen’ during the college recruitment process. We’re exceptionally proud of the National Recognition Programs for celebrating students who are at times overlooked but have shown their outstanding academic abilities,” said Tarlin Ray, senior vice president of BigFuture at College Board. “This is a benefit not only for students but also for colleges and universities committed to recruiting diverse and talented students.”