DeKalb High School Celebrates Students Awarded with Academic Honors from College Board National Recognition Program
Students at DeKalb High School earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs for being among the top 10% in their respective groups. The programs celebrate the hard work of thousands of high school students nationwide to help them showcase their strong academic performance.
For the first time, the academic honors recognize first-generation students, in addition to rural and small-town, Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic/or Latino students. The program opens college access for more students because many institutions use the awards for their recruitment efforts.
Twelve students are included in the 2024 recognition awards. They are Anaya Aguilar Decleen (First Generation), Bailey Bathje (First Generation), Kenya Calvin, (African American), Bernice Carmona (First Generation, Hispanic), Emily Gonzalez-Ferna (Hispanic), Zuleika Izaguirre (First Generation, Hispanic), Carly Kammes (First Generation), Izabelle Liboy (First Generation, Hispanic), Katharine Lucas (Hispanic), Ermir Paz (First Generation, Hispanic), Taryn Prater (First Generation), Jonathan Zuniga (Hispanic).
“We’re incredibly proud of these students and it's our honor to celebrate the result of their hard work,” said DeKalb High School Principal Donna Larson, Ed.D. “There’s so much that makes our students unique, and this honor reinforces their individuality and achievements as tangible building blocks for their future.”
Eligible students must meet the following criteria to qualify:
- Earn a GPA of B+ (equal to at least 3.3 or 87%-89%) 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 by the end of 10th grade.
- Attend school in a rural area or small town, or identify as African American/Black, Hispanic American/Latino, Indigenous/Native American, or a first-generation college student.
The program expanded this year to include a fifth award. Over 35,000 students nationwide received the inaugural National First-Generation Recognition Program Award.
“This year, the National Recognition Programs are recognizing more students than ever so that the outstanding academic abilities of more than 90,000 deserving students are not overlooked as they plan for their future,” said Amy Reitz, senior vice president of BigFuture at College Board. “We’re proud to support colleges and universities that are committed to supporting all students, and our program offers one way they can strengthen their recruitment efforts to students that will thrive on their campus.”
Students who earned College Board National Recognition Programs academic honors were recognized at a recent student assembly at DeKalb High School. Pictured from left to right are: Justice Liboy, Kenya Calvin, Anaya DeCleene Aguilar, Taryn Prater, Bernice Carmona, Zuleika Izaguirre, Carly Kammes, Emir Paz, and Jonathan Zuniga.