Congratulations to seniors Antonio Ruelas and Summer Foshee, who both earned College Board awards for outstanding academic achievements!

Ruelas was awarded Academic Honors from the College Board’s National Recognition Program, while he and Foshee were both presented with the AP Scholars with Honor award. 

Ruelas earned this recognition by excelling both on AP Exams and in the classroom, with an average score of 3 on his AP Exams, and a 4.41 cumulative GPA. Ruelas has taken European History, Statistics, Literature and Composition, US History, Calculus AB, Biology, Psychology, Language and Composition, Environmental Science and Computer Science.

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“I would recommend AP to everyone,” Ruelas said. “Do what you want and go beyond.”

Living out his advice to go beyond, Ruelas is involved in much more than just academics. He serves as ASB President on Student Leadership, leads the Computer Programming Club, is a student-athlete in cross country as well as a first-year photojournalist on The Feather.

In his spare time, he enjoys practicing karate and brewing kombucha tea. After high school, he plans to attend a prestigious college to try to develop himself to the best of his ability.

Foshee was presented with the AP Scholar with Honor Award, July 6. Foshee has exceptional scores on her AP exams, receiving a 5 on the four courses she has completed. Additionally, she is involved in tennis, serves as ASB treasurer on Student Leadership, is a fourth-year journalist and Creative Editor on The Feather and attends FC’s Book Club. 

She has enrolled in six AP classes: United States History, European History, Calculus AB, Language and Composition, Literature and Composition and Biology. 

“AP is a great opportunity for people who want to get a head start on college and who have the discipline to do the work,” Foshee said. “I think discipline is the most valuable factor in succeeding in AP classes.” 

Outside of school, Foshee enjoys creating art through paint and pencil mediums, crocheting and writing poetry. After high school, she plans to pursue a career involving art.

Continue reading to find out more about the awards and the requirements to receive them.

Academic Honors Award

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 stand out during the admissions process. Colleges and scholarship programs use these honors to identify students from underrepresented groups through College Board’s Student Search Service.

Eligible students have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have excelled in 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 Latino, Indigenous, and/or attend school in a rural area or small town. Eligible students are invited to apply during their sophomore or junior year and are awarded at the beginning of the next school year.

AP Scholars with Honor Award

To qualify, students must have an average score of 3.25 for all AP Exams, in addition to having a minimum score of 3 on at least 4 AP Exams.

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