Photo courtesy of Mr. Maniglia

RV students Adrienne Austin, Isaiah Morman, and Jozlynn McNair who received the College Board National African American Recognition Award (NAARA)and to Katherine Troyanovich, Miranda Cruz, Ty Martin, and Xavior Rodriguez who were honored with the National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA).

Seven students from Rancocas Valley have been recognized by the College Board last month, including seniors Adrienne Austin, Isaiah Morman, Jozlynn Mcnair, Miranda Cruz, Ty Martin and Xavior Rodriguez, and junior Katherine Troyanovich, who have gone above and beyond with their academic achievements.

To be eligible for the National African-American Recognition Award (NAARA) or National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA), students must apply either in their sophomore or junior year, have a minimum GPA of 3.5, be a US citizen and take the PSAT or 2 distinct AP exams.

Senior Jozlyn Mcnair is one of the recipients for the National African-American Recognition Award.

“I didn’t intentionally earn this award but I just maintained my GPA by studying and asking teachers for help,” said Mcnair. “I did well with my APUSH exam through review sessions and using my notes from my classes.”

While the award is not a scholarship, it is a super valuable achievement to place on a college transcript.

“I feel really proud of myself and it gives me validation that all of my hardwork is paying off.” said Adrienne Austin, another NAARA recipient.

This year, 72,000 students nationwide have been granted these awards. This was also the first year that students could apply on BigFuture®. The College Board’s recognition of these particular students are meant to affirm diversity and inclusion in the college process. These awards not only celebrate a student’s academic achievements, but give them a helping hand in their search for higher education.

“I think, and I hope, that this achievement will help me stand out in my college applications next year.” said Katie Troyanovich, a National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA) recipient alongside Rodriguez, Cruz and Martin. “I’m glad this award will allow me to represent part of my heritage and show my dedication as a student.”

A high GPA and thorough searches in the college process is what helped these students. Most believe that they couldn’t achieve what they had without the guidance of their school counselors and teachers. 

“My tips for everyone else would be to give your best when taking these standardized tests and stay up to date with your college board account,” said Troyanovich. 

Other awards like the NAARA, NHRA, NIA (National Indigenous Award) and NRSTA (National Rural and Small Town Award), were created to help ambitious yet commonly overlooked college applicants shine in their transcripts.

“My advice is to just have confidence in yourself and your abilities,” said Austin. “When I first won the award I was skeptical and didn’t believe that it was true. This award gave me so much confidence and made me believe that I am ready for a further education in college.” Adrienne is team captain for the girl’s winter and spring track teams, secretary of the school’s National Honor Society and sports editor for Holly Spirit.

This fall, College Board is introducing a new recognition program for first-generation students. After taking the PSAT, students can either be invited or apply themselves for an award here.