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<p><strong>From staff reports</strong></p>
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<p>Seventy-six Beaufort County eighth-graders were honored Wednesday, May 19 for being named Junior Scholars by the South Carolina Department of Education.</p>
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<p>The students were recognized during a pre-recorded Facebook Live ceremony that can be seen on the district’s Facebook page or the district’s YouTube channel.</p>
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<p>In a message to the scholars, Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said, “You have a bright future ahead of you and I can’t wait to see all that you will do and accomplish.”</p>
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<p>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. The program includes a process for screening, identifying and recognizing students with high scholastic achievement and intellectual ability.</p>
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<p>Eligible students include those who score 550 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing portion of the PSAT/NMSQT or those who scored 530 or higher on the Mathematics portion of the PSAT/NMSQT.</p>
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<p>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.</p>
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<p><strong>Junior Scholar honorees are (listed by school):</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Beaufort Middle School </strong>– Emma Hamilton, Niam Perkins, Mary Ruff, and Ava Walker.</p>
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<p><strong>Bluffton Middle School </strong>– Keagan Claffy, Mackenzie Cofall, James Holloman, Jakub Hosso, Mia Lopez Huerta, Elisabeth Mullen, Juan Ramirez, and Brandon Solorza.</p>
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<p><strong>H.E. McCracken Middle School </strong>– Reagan Allinder, Tyrell Calloway, Isabella Campigotto, Joshua Carachure, Oscar Conley, Jayden Dimsey, Cassandra Griswold, Patrick Hays, Grant Hughes, Braeden Mancini, Alan Marshall, Jonah Nieves, Reyli Onate, Michael Riggs, Jacob Riley, Hailey Shupard, Alexandria Smith, Israel Smith, Brianne Stubbs, Benjamin Vaught, Nathan Vu, and Vivian Zurakowski.</p>
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<p><strong>Hilton Head Island Middle School </strong>– Bryce Broome, Calvin Clayton, John Coley, Jack Fielding, Lilly Friday, Carmine Genovese, Josiah Gilman, Nathaniel Greenberg, Jacob Hadley, Kevin Hernandez, Warren Hollingsworth, Leah Jackson, Andrew Jeffrey, Nicholas Korneluk, Jack Linkimer, Alexia Milbrandt, Wyatt Norman, Taylan Olcer, Matthew Perdue, Caleb Spangler, and Jessica Staigar.</p>
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<p><strong>Lady's Island Middle School </strong>– Matthew Bertagna, Maylen Brandt, Kayden Capone, Erik James, Kate Lamb, Gavin Ramirez, Camryn Thompson, and Sydney Turner.</p>
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<p><strong>River Ridge Academy </strong>– Carson Colmer, Amelie Marie Davis, James Hensel, Abigail Hirsch, John Lassiter, Emma Peeples, Savannah Smith, Sean Walling, and Mia Wang.</p>
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<p>R<strong>iverview Charter School </strong>– Sidney Levitt</p>
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<p><strong>Robert Smalls International Academy </strong>– Joanna Lin</p>
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<p><strong>Whale Branch Middle School </strong>– Maiya Carter and Nadija Peterson</p>
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