Sept. 21, 2023 – Several Tivy High School students were awarded academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Program, while senior Cade Braaten was named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist.
More than1.3 million juniors in 21,000 high schools entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
“We are proud of Cade’s success and his representation of Kerrville ISD and Tivy High School,” Tivy Principal Shelby Balser said during a brief assembly to recognize students.
Balser said the Tivy Counseling Department will now help Braaten apply for the finalist designation, which will be awarded to a smaller pool of students in February.
Braaten was also recognized for a perfect score of 36 on the ACT, which only .25 percent of all ACT test-takers earn.
The College Board National Recognition Programs grant underrepresented students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country, helping them meaningfully connect to colleges and stand out during the admissions process. Colleges and scholarship programs identify students awarded National African American, Hispanic, Indigenous and/or Rural/Small Town Recognition through College Board’s Student Search Service.
Students earning the National Rural and Small Town recognition are: Anna Henson, Callista Kramer, Carolyn Holt, Clara Sumner, Delaney Engstrom, Dylan Callahan, Evan Peschel, Haelea Deal, Heather Garred, Ian Bothma, Jacob Genoves, Lester Li, Lynn Pham, Matthew Kern, Pedro Alocer, Richard Dozier, Taylor Lidiak, William Jackson and Zachary Manchee.
Students earning the National Rural and Small Town and Hispanic recognitions are: Hannah Hood, Isiah Olea, Jackeline Ortega Rodriguez, Jakob Wyman, Jesus Guzman, Joshua Lara.
Edgar Alvarado and Jacob Flores earned the National Hispanic recognition.
Azure Anderson earned the National Rural and Small Town and Indigenous recognitions.
Curtis Woods earned the National African American recognition.
“We are super thrilled to celebrate these students and recognize them for the great work they’ve been doing,” Balser said. “We are proud of their academic performance.”
Students who may be eligible have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have excelled on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP Exams; and are African American or Black, Hispanic American or Latinx, Indigenous, and/or attend school in a rural area or small town. Eligible students will be invited to apply during their sophomore or junior year and will be awarded at the beginning of the next school year. Students will receive their awards in time to include them on their college and scholarship applications.
