Big Future For Oak Lawn Spartans Recognized By National College Board

OAK LAWN, IL — Seven Oak Lawn Community High School students earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. These programs celebrate students’ hard work in high school and showcase their strong academic performance.

The students who received this academic honor are Rizan Ali, Leo Chavez, Frank Echevarria,
Yumn Elameer, Victoria Hartin, Andrea Midnight, and Leonardo Orbea.

“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,” OLCHS assistant
principal Dr. Lauren May said. “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 GPA of 3.5 or higher; PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10
assessment scores 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 2 or more AP Exams in 9th and 10th grade. Students must attend school in a rural area or small town, or identify as African
American/Black, Hispanic American/Latino, or Indigenous/Native.

“It’s becoming increasingly hard for students to be ‘seen’ during the college recruitment process.
We’re exceptionally proud of the National Recognition Programs for celebrating students who
are at times overlooked but have shown their outstanding academic abilities,” said Tarlin Ray,
senior vice president of BigFuture® at College Board. “This is a benefit not only for students but
also for colleges and universities committed to recruiting diverse and talented students.”

~ Contributed by Jennifer Jepsen, OLCHS Staff Writer