Posted September 14, 2022
Congratulations to our very own Abraham Maldonado, who is one of 62,000 students from across the country to earn academic honors from the College Board’s National Recognition Programs!
These National Recognition Programs grant underrepresented students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country, helping them stand out during the admissions process.
Maldonado was the recipient of the National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA). When asked how he felt, Maldonado was hesitant to take full credit.
“It was absolutely not just me,” he said, “This school is a huge reason why I have achieved academic success.”
Now a senior, Maldonado recalls writing a semester-long 15-page essay in Ms. Lockwood’s 10th Grade English class. The prompt was to focus on a problem in the United States.
“She made sure that what we were writing about was something we were interested in, because writing is easier from the heart,” he said. The essay that Maldonado chose to write was focused on the experience of students with ADHD within the public education system.
“The project based learning at this school really makes it so that everyone’s learning is individualized because you are doing a project on what you want,” the senior said. “When you have that kind of freedom, you feel invested in your academics.”
Maldonado earned this recognition by excelling on his PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, or AP Exams in his classrooms. Students who may be eligible have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have excelled on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10, or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP Exams; and are African American or Black, Hispanic American or Latinx, Indigenous, and/or attend school in a rural area or small town. Colleges and scholarship programs use these honors to identify students from underrepresented groups through College Board’s Student Search Service.
Eligible students are invited to apply during their sophomore or junior year, and are awarded at the beginning of the following school year.
For more information on the College Board National Recognition Program, click here.
From the entire DSISD community: Congratulations Abe!