Students Earn College Board Recognitions

Students from Dysart High School, Shadow Ridge High School, and Valley Vista High School were recognized by the College Board National Recognitions Programs for excelling in College Board assessments and school work.

The College Board National Recognition Programs award academic honors to sophomores and juniors who take eligible administrations of AP, PSAT/NMSQT, or PSAT 10 exams, have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and identify as African American or Black, Hispanic or Latino, Indigenous or Native, or attend high school in a rural area or small town.  These programs celebrate students' hard work in high school and showcase their strong academic performance

Adrian Ramirez Machaen and Nahum Cabrera Olivas, both from Dysart High School, received the National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA).  Adrian has an interest in studying Civil Engineering in college and is considering several universities after high school including Arizona State University (ASU), University of Southern California, Northern Arizona University (NAU), Grand Canyon University (GCU), University of Arizona, and Grace College. Adrian is involved in AVID and currently serves as the Student Council Treasurer at Dysart High School. Nahum has an interest in Computer Science and Software Engineering and is considering NAU and Glendale Community College (GCC) after high school. He is involved in AVID, Tennis, ACE Program, Chick-Fil-A Leadership Academy and volunteers at the Dysart Community Center afterschool program.

Ashlyn Zambrano from Valley Vista High School received the National African American Recognition Award (NAARA).  She plans to attend ASU to study pre-law and will continue her education to earn a Juris Doctorate degree. She is involved in Student Council, National Honor Society and Advanced Placement classes at Valley Vista High School. 

Shadow Ridge High School had 14 recipients. Carolyn Austin received the National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA) and has not determined a major but is considering several including History, Classical Studies, Philosophy, and Environmental Science.  Her top college choice is NAU.  She is the football manager at Shadow Ridge and assists the team with filming and technology on game days.  Brayden Buchberger received the (NRSTA) recognition and is interested in studying Engineering, Computer Science, Psychology and the medical fields.  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford are his top choices.  Brayden is involved in National Honor Society, debate, Engineering for SkillsUSA, and the Bring Change to Mind Club. Savannah Bowers received the (NRSTA) recognition and would like to pursue a major in Psychology at ASU and then University of Pennsylvania for medical school to become a psychiatrist. Travis Cain received the (NRSTA) recognition and is interested in Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering and would like to attend ASU.  He is involved in track and field, SkillsUSA and marching band at Shadow Ridge.  Joseph Holm received the NHRA recognition. He would like to pursue a degree in Computer Science and has been accepted at ASU.  He enjoys coding and is involved in SkillsUSA at Shadow Ridge.  Garet Jurrens received the NRSTA recognition.  Garet has an interest in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and is involved in the Engineering Club at Shadow Ridge. Donovan Lerma received the NRSTA recognition and is interested in studying either Mechanical or Electrical Engineering at ASU and is involved in SkillsUSA for Engineering.  Rylee Maki received the NRSTA recognition. She is a member of the Junior Dance Company and would like to major in Nursing at GCC and do the Registered Nurse (RN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program to eventually become a Pediatric Nurse at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Danika Lynn Maves received the NRSTA recognition and would like to attend the University of Michigan to study either Computer Science or Data Analysis.  She participated in SkillsUSA for Graphic Design.  Analyse Sosa received the NHRA and is interested in attending either a university or technical school to study Psychology or Ultrasound Technician. She is involved in Technical Theatre at Shadow Ridge High School.  Additional awardees include Elijah Curnutt (NRSTA), Kloey Garcia (NHRA), Kloey Garcia (NHRA), and Alyssa Wong (NRSTA).

The College Board National Recognition Program grants underrepresented students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country, helping them meaningfully connect to colleges and stand out during the admissions process.