National Hispanic Recognition Program Honors 29 Leander Students

LEANDER, TX -- Twenty-nine Leander ISD students were recently honored by the National Hispanic Recognition Program for their impressive college admission exams.

The students earned recognition for their scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Each year, the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program singles out academically outstanding Hispanic high school students, district officials explained in a press advisory.

The NHRP honors some 50,000 of the nation’s highest-scoring students from a field of more than a quarter-million students taking the PSAT/MNSQT.

“Congratulations to these outstanding students,” district superintendent Bret A. Champion said in a statement. “We are exceedingly proud of them for doing so well on the PSAT/NMSQT and for earning this prestigious distinction.”

Among the students honored were:

• At Cedar Park High School, Maximilien Hein; Troy Amato; Amber Smith; Carlos Valenzuela; Nathaniel Carrasquillo; Miguel Barcerias Solis; Jacob Garza; Payton Jones; Benjamin Prasifka; and Cassidy Cadena.
• Dylan Roberts from Leander High School received the honor.

• Five Rouse High School students: Nicolas Escobar; Anthony Seek; Edward Decoste; Connor Rodriguez; and Oliver Gallia.
• Another ten at Vandegrift High School were recognized, among them Ariana Engles; Megan Mowad; Matthew Rodriguez; Mariana Caldas; Jack Elliott; Antonio Cordova; Marisa Collmann; Brendan Hollaway; Gavin Gurrola; and Brandy Vera.
• Vista Ridge High School had three standouts, Isabel Deike, Sydney Young and Joseph Vandenhouten.

“As a district, we are proud to report that these students represent a 32-percent increase in the number of National Hispanic Recognition Program honorees within LISD since last year,” Champion said. “This growth outpaced our Hispanic student enrollment, which grew by 3 percent over the last year.”

All LiSD students in grades 9 to 11 took the PSAT last October. The juniors among them are eligible for accollades next year based on their scores, district officials said.

To qualify for the recognition and potential scholarships, students must take the PSAT/NMSQT in October of their junior year, be at least one-quarter Hispanic or Latino descent and identify as Hispanic/Latino on their PSAT/NMSQT answer sheet where it asks for race and ethnicity, district officials said.

Additionally, students must achieve the minimum required PSAT/NMSQT cutoff score as set yearly by the College Board, and achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher by the middle of their junior year.

For more information and to access free PSAT, SAT and ACT resources, please visit the College and Career Readiness section atwww.leanderisd.org.