Two Thomson High School juniors were recently recognized for their academic achievements by the College Board National Recognition Programs. Brandon Coughlan received the National Rural and Small Town Award, and Rikayah Youngblood received the National African American Recognition Award.
The programs celebrate the hard work of some 72,000 high school students across the country, showcasing their strong academic performance. The academic honors for rural area, Black, Indigenous, and/or Latino students are an opportunity for students to share their academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs that are seeking to recruit diverse talent.
The criteria for eligible students include having a GPA of 3.5 or higher, being in the top 10 percent of PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 assessment takers in each state for each program or having earned a score of three or higher on two or more AP Exams in ninth and tenth grade. Eligible students either attend school in a rural area or small town, or identify as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, or Indigenous/Native.
Having met these requirements, Rikayah and Brandon were invited to apply during their sophomore year and were notified at the beginning of the current school year so that their achievements could help them plan for the future. As a result of this recognition, colleges and organizations can connect directly with them during the recruitment process.