THS holds Superintendent Scholar Reception
Sophomores recognized for high PSAT scores
Photo by Anna Haley
Sophomore Lauren Friday is awarded a medal by Superintendent Dr. Bob Brubaker for an outstanding PSAT score. The National Merit Scholars also received their awards at the reception.
April 3, 2023
The sound of nervous chattering fills the cafeteria. Parents and students gather around the tables in excitement as they prepare to celebrate not only their own successes, but also the successes of their peers.
On Tuesday March 28, around 40 sophomores were invited to attend the Superintendent Scholar Reception in the Dan Haskins Center in recognition of their high PSAT scores. The PSAT serves many purposes from scholarship opportunities to simple preparation, overall benefiting students in the future.
“So this is actually a program we started last year and hope to continue indefinitely,” Associate Principal for College & Career Readiness Bettie Stark said. “It is to honor the top sophomores who scored on the PSAT test that they took in October and to really just celebrate their achievements.”
The reception served not only as a celebratory event for these students, but also as a more eye-opening experience in terms of future opportunities.
“This is really a chance to get them excited about the program so that they’ll really prepare, study and take more seriously the test that they will take in October during their junior year,“ Stark said. “That is the one that counts for National Merit scholarships and everything, and even prep for the National Merit test pays off in the classroom obviously and then also on the ACT and SAT.”
The recognition, for many students, further pushed them in their strive for excellence, hopefully increasing the number of committed scholars present in following years.
“This will really help me because it’s boosted my confidence to know that I am capable of a high score,” sophomore Kynlee Flippen said. “It encourages me to work even harder on future tests so that I can get into a good college and be successful.”
The PSAT is meant to prepare students for actual college admission exams, with this award allowing students to feel capable of their abilities and not only prepping them, but also instilling a sense of excitement.
It’s made others, myself included, realize that they can do well on these tests and shows that the effort put in is being noticed,” sophomore Alexis Swanson said. “The boost in confidence will then push them to succeed.”
