From staff reports
Beaufort County School District (BCSD) honored 115 eighth-graders for being named Junior Scholars by the South Carolina Department of Education, including 22 from northern Beaufort County.
The students and their parents were recognized at a Junior Scholars banquet sponsored by the Beaufort County School District.
“These students have shown phenomenal potential, as their selection as Junior Scholars demonstrates,” BCSD Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said in a news release.“I know they will work hard on achieving their potential, and it will be our educators’ joy to support them on this journey.”
The featured speaker was Mary Ruff, a Beaufort High School senior accepted to Duke University who shared her experiences since being named a Junior Scholar in middle school. Ruff emphasized that although maintaining a high GPA is important for academic and financial opportunities, what is most important is to seek challenging environments and classes that build one’s character and leave a more lasting impact, noting that “failure and struggle are key to growth.”
The Junior Scholars Program was developed by the South Carolina Department of Education to identify eighth-graders with exceptional academic talent and to develop strategies for inclusion into special programs that facilitate intellectual growth, broaden individual interests, and promote scholastic achievement. The program includes a process for screening, identifying, and recognizing students with high scholastic achievement and intellectual ability. Eligible students include those whose PSAT/NMSQT scores are 550 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing portion or 530 or higher on the Mathematics portion.
Students who qualify as Junior Scholars receive an award of merit from the South Carolina Department of Education as well as information regarding summer academic experiences sponsored by South Carolina colleges and universities. They can use that special recognition to bolster their applications to colleges and universities.
This year’s BCSD Junior Scholars from northern Beaufort County are Rita Chen, Sophie Brister, Ryan Allen, Naomi Ekiert, Henry Everhart, Robert Ferguson, Jaiden Ferguson, Elaina Horne, Jacob Mansker, Carter Mason, Kellan Newman, Mercy Par, Nathan Peeples, Henry Pettit, Nia Polkey, Damien Rivers, Lydia Sargent, Gabriel Seronka, Chloe Snyder, James Sullivan, Keyari Tieland, and Rowan Wilson.
