Five Plymouth Whitemarsh High School students earn College Board National Recognition
Five Plymouth Whitemarsh High School students have earned academic honors from the College Board’s National Recognition programs. Congratulations to:
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Luce Allen: National African American Recognition Award (NAARA)
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Olivia Eaton: National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA)
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Ronald Keene: NAARA
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Amber Kinsey: NAARA
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Sanaa Power: NAARA
To receive a recognition award, eligible students must have:
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a GPA of 3.5 or higher
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scores on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 that are within the top 10 percent of assessment takers in each state for each award program, or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP Exams in 9th and 10th grade
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Attend school in a rural area or small town, or identify as African American/Black, Hispanic American/Latino, or Indigenous/Native.
Eligible students are invited to apply on BigFuture during their sophomore or junior year and are awarded at the start of the next school year in time to share their achievements in high school as they plan for the future. Plymouth Whitemarsh’s honorees are already thinking about those next steps. Seniors Sanaa, Amber, and Olivia are preparing for college but have not yet decided which universities they might attend.
Sanaa is hoping to study psychology and is looking at schools like Howard University. During her time at PW, she has participated in National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Intersectional Feminism Club, Black Cultural Awareness Club, and serves as an Anti-Defamation League Peer Trainer. She said Plymouth Whitemarsh’s many opportunities have prepared her for next steps.
“I feel like it’s given me a lot of tools with how to develop personally and also professionally, especially with the International Baccalaureate Programme,” she said.
Amber said she plans to attend college and become a doctor.
“Helping people is a big passion of mine,” she said.
Amber said she was surprised to learn she had received a recognition award, but is looking forward to adding it to her transcript. Amber plays the violin and is involved with the Black Cultural Awareness Club. The high school’s broad array of classes has been beneficial to Amber as she prepares for graduation, and she noted that having access to courses like Career and Financial Management are important as she becomes an adult.
Olivia agreed, saying that she has never felt limited in her academic pursuits.
“At PW, I think I’ve been able to tap into all my interests,” she said.
Olivia is also looking to attend college and decide on a major that will enable her to find a career where she can connect people. Of the recognition she received, she noted that she is “happy able to represent all the different cultures that I am a part of.”
Luce Allen and Ronald Keene said they were proud to be recognized along with other students who are challenging themselves academically. While college is not immediately on the horizon for the eleventh-graders, both students said they are planning to pursue post-secondary education and that PW has offered them a lot.
“I think besides the classes, the main thing that’s most beneficial here is just the experience of meeting other people,” said Luce. “I think that hearing other people and listening to their perspectives – especially if they are different from you – is very crucial in terms of just growth as a human being in general.”
Luce is an Anti-Defamation League Peer Trainer, secretary for the Gay Straight Alliance, and a track athlete. Luce intends to pursue a career where they can help others.
Ronald also participates as an Anti-Defamation League Peer Trainer, helped start the History Club, and writes for the school newspaper. He hopes to attend college and law school, and perhaps live abroad as an investigative journalist.
“Learning how to network is big, just not being afraid to put yourself out there, speak with teachers and peers and see what you can do for them and what they can do for you,” he said. “There’s a lot of opportunities like that at PW.”