14 students earn academic honors

Fourteen West Milford High School students earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs.

The programs celebrate students’ hard work in high school and 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/Latino students.

The program opens college access for more students because many institutions use the awards for their recruitment efforts.

Earning the National Hispanic Recognition Award were Joel Campos, William Diaz, Shirley Gutierrez, Jose Hernandez and Nicolas Patino.

The National Rural & Small Town Recognition Award went to Claire Johnson, Megan Seidner, Ryan Tatro, Christopher Tatro, Brenna Traverso, Samantha Woodcock and Anna Youngren.

Gutierrez, Hernandez and both Tatros also received the National First-Generation Recognition Award along with Adelina Tuzzio and Jennifer Zheng.

“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 like the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10 and AP exams,” said Principal Matthew Strianse. “There’s so much that makes our students unique, and receiving this honor reinforces this as an asset for their future.”

The criteria for eligible students include:

• A grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

• PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 assessment scores within the top 10 percent of assessment takers in each state for each award program or a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP Exams in ninth and 10th grade.

• Attends school in a rural area or small town or identifies as African American/Black, Hispanic American/Latino or Indigenous/Native.

“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.”