For Immediate Release
Contact: Tammy Southworth, Principal
Paw Paw High School
269-415-5600
(Paw Paw, MI) Eleven Students at Paw Paw High School (PPHS) earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Program. The programs celebrate the hard work of thousands of high school students nationwide to help them highlight 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.
At Paw Paw High School, these 11 students received awards:
Madelyn Ameling - First Generation, Rural and Small Town
Ryan Dalton – Rural and Small Town
Claire Hemenway – Rural and Small Town
Lily Imus – First Generation, Rural and Small Town
Lindsey Kerby – Rural and Small Town
Ashley Olsen – Rural and Small Town
Kyleigh Patterson – Rural and Small Town
Kyle Seckler – Indigenous
Taya Southworth – Rural and Small Town
Phillip Staffen – First Generation
Levi Vestrand - First Generation, Rural and Small Town
“We’re thrilled to celebrate our students and recognize them for the great work they’ve been doing. We’re proud of their strong academic performance in the classroom and on College Board assessments and exams,” said Paw Paw High School Principal Tammy Southworth.
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.
“There’s so much that makes our students unique, and this honor reinforces their individuality and achievements as assets for their future,” said PPPS Superintendent Jeremy Davison.
The program expanded this year to include a fifth award. Over 35,000 students nationwide received the inaugural National First-Generation Recognition Program Award. If a student’s parent(s) does not have a bachelor’s degree, the student qualifies as a first-generation student.
Every year, students can verify their eligibility on BigFuture ® during their sophomore or junior year. At the start of the next school year, students receive their awards for their communities to celebrate them and colleges to recruit them as they head back to school for their junior or senior year. Thousands of nonprofit colleges and organizations using College Board’s Student Search Service™ can connect with awardees during the recruitment process to share more about their postsecondary programs.
“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.
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