By Teresa Lopez.
Five seniors earned National Recognition Program awards through College Board as a result of their excellent academic performance on their AP exams or their October 2022 PSAT scores. The national recognition awards are a proven way for Black, Latino, indigenous and rural students to stand out to colleges.
Caden Rainwater, Danae Flores, Hope Arrazola, James Nicholls and Malia Williams were announced as recipients of the awards last Tuesday, Sept. 12. The students were automatically signed up for the program when they took eligible administrations of AP or PSAT/NMSQT exams and have a GPA equal to or higher than 3.5.
“I didn’t even know this was an award,” Rainwater said. “You can thank my ethnic background.”
Students can include these awards in their college applications to help them stand out and show their achievements and accomplishments.
“Some options I’ve chosen are Tarleton and Prairie View A&M,” Williams said. “And possibly UT Austin.”
This award is recognized by many colleges and universities and can help them to earn scholarships as well.
“Some advice I’d give to people struggling with grades and school is that it’s okay to struggle because we all struggle,” senior Hope Arrazola said. “Just know how to prioritize your time and you can do anything.”
This year, 62,000 students across the country have been awarded these academic honors from College Board. In addition to these five students earning awards, 11 students were awarded the title of AP Scholar, six were named AP Scholar with Honor and six more were AP Scholar with Distinction.
“When you’re doing your work all by yourself it’s kinda overwhelming so I would say work with some people to help you,” Danae Flores said. ”Make sure you’re in a good environment to work. It’s better to do your best than to not try at all just because you’re scared.”
