More than two dozen YUHSD students receive College Board National Recognition Program honors
Twenty-five Yuma Union High School District juniors and seniors were recently announced as recipients of College Board National Recognition Program awards.
Out of the 25 students honored, 12 were from Cibola High School, including Bushra Osman, who was the district’s only National African American Recognition Award (NAARA) recipient. Additionally, YUHSD students were also honored as part of the National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA) and National Rural and Small-Town Recognition Award (NRSTRA).
"Being recognized feels like a sigh of relief,” said Kofa High School senior Amarissa Carabajal, who was named a NHRA honoree. “It feels like all of the hard work I started in my freshman year is beginning to pay off, but I know that there's still a considerable amount of work ahead of me. So, I can celebrate this accomplishment now but I will still continue my hard work through university."
According to their website, College Board's four recognition programs award academic honors to underrepresented students. Students who take eligible administrations of the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, or AP Exams will be considered for awards. Students must also identify as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous, or attend high school in a rural area or small town. While it’s not a scholarship program, students can, however, include academic honor in their college and scholarship applications.
“I would say that this award is somewhat of an ‘I told you so’ moment for me,” Osman said. “While Yuma is a part of who I am, there are not that many Black people here who I can relate to. Therefore, most people did not believe I would be known for much academically. So, getting recognition for being an African-American who is on the track of becoming someone great, is something I’ve been waiting for as long as I can remember.”
The 25 YUHSD students were recognized for their achievements during the 2021-22 school year. Current seniors were required to have taken the PSAT during the spring of their junior year, while current juniors were required to have taken the PSAT in the fall of 2021. Additionally, all students must have grade point average of 3.5 or higher at the time of their application.
For more information on the program, please visit: https://satsuite.collegeboard.
Here is a list of all 25 YUHSD students to receive honors with their current cohort listed:
Cibola High School
Alvaro Cruz Perez, NHRA, early graduate; Adlemi Duarte, NHRA, junior; Rodrigo Guizar, NHRA, senior; Jelissa Mireles, NHRA, senior; Matthew Moore, NHRA, junior; Ricardo Orozco, NHRA, senior; Bushra Osman, NAARA, senior; Montserrat Renteria, NHRA, senior; Valeria Robles, NHRA, senior; Marlett Reyes-Serenil, NHRA, senior; Anahy Torres, NHRA, senior; Roman Vega, NHRA, senior
Gila Ridge High School
Eli Riney, NHRA/NRSTA, senior; Lara Simpson, NRSTA, senior
Kofa High School
Amarissa Carabajal, NHRA, senior
San Luis High School
Camilla Chavez-Correa, NHRA/NRSTA, senior; Efren Figueroa, NHRA/NRSTA, senior; Anacarolina Flores, NHRA, senior; Raul Hernandez Sosa, NHRA/NRSTA, junior; Brayan Millan, NHRA, senior; Alejandra Moreno, NHRA, senior; Francisco Quezada, NHRA, senior; Alejandro Ramirez, NHRA, junior; Rogelio Rojas, NHRA, senior
Yuma High School
Sofia Sauceda, NHRA, senior
