Several students were recognized at the College Board National Recognition ceremony Tuesday, Sept. 26. The event saw the presentation of prestigious awards, including the Rural Recognition Scholar and the National Hispanic Recognition Scholar.
The following students received the National Recognition Scholar; Juniors Addison Blanks, Amberleigh Alvarez, Carlos Alejo, Kathryn Kaminski, Jeremiah Reno, Melany Jimenez, and Tristan Laguna. As well as seniors Cristian Mazariegos, Efren Solis, Humberto Saenz, Jaidyn Hodkinson, Logan Corcoran, Natalia Molina, Thomas Watson, Emma Lacount, and Daniel Lopez. The students listed next received the National Hispanic Recognition Scholar; Seniors Guadalupe Lozano, Isabella Pacheco, Leobardo Perez, Cinthia Rodrigues, Daniel Lopez, Natalia Molina, Cristian Mazariegos, Humberto Saenz and Melany Jimenez. These students qualified by taking eligible administrations of the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT, or AP Exams.
“At first, I was pretty surprised and thought, ‘there’s no way I’m going to get it’ because there were a bunch of people, and I knew some of my friends did better than me,” Alvarez said. “Once I got over that, I was super excited because that was like a stepping stone to getting a lot of scholarship opportunities.”
Rodrigues talks about the impact of the recognition on her academic path.
“I think this recognition has really helped because I’m seeing all my hard work has paid off,” Rodrigues said. “It opens up a lot of stuff for you, like getting full rides to places, and with scholarships, it helps you with more than just not having to pay anything.”
The awards brought plenty of surprise and joy to the students. College and Career Counselor Diane Hernandez played a crucial role in guiding these students toward their achievements.
“I’ve helped students with college and scholarship applications and helped them plan what to do after high school, whether it’s going to the military, two-year college, or four-year universities and basically all those steps along the way,” Hernandez said. “Whether it’s signing up for SATs or helping them apply anywhere, helping them send all the documents and essays, and pretty much anything related to colleges and careers.”
Hernandez shares her strategies for inspiring other students to strive for similar awards.
“I try to encourage kids toward the top of their class to make sure they’re applying to four-year universities and applying early so that they meet the scholarship deadlines,” Hernandez said. “For other students, we have local scholarships from organizations like the Lions Club or the Montgomery County Fair. Some students don’t take advantage of those or don’t apply, so I try to encourage students to apply for the ones they qualify for.”