Academic All-Stars shoot for top schools at home and far away

Ten students who make up this year’s Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Academic All-Star Team are, from left, Jonah Hyman, a senior at Haas Hall Academy; Kaitlyn Ragsdale, a senior at Shiloh Christian; Liisa Salomaa, a senior at Providence Academy; Noah West, a senior at Har-Ber High School; Adam Breach, a senior at Rogers High School; Garrett Story, a senior at Springdale High School; Gillian Wall, a senior at Bentonville High School; Beau Si, a senior at Fayetteville High School; John Lavey, a senior at Siloam Springs High School; and Blayke Rogers, a senior at Farmington High School.
Ten students who make up this year’s Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Academic All-Star Team are, from left, Jonah Hyman, a senior at Haas Hall Academy; Kaitlyn Ragsdale, a senior at Shiloh Christian; Liisa Salomaa, a senior at Providence Academy; Noah West, a senior at Har-Ber High School; Adam Breach, a senior at Rogers High School; Garrett Story, a senior at Springdale High School; Gillian Wall, a senior at Bentonville High School; Beau Si, a senior at Fayetteville High School; John Lavey, a senior at Siloam Springs High School; and Blayke Rogers, a senior at Farmington High School.

Among 10 students who represent the best and brightest in Northwest Arkansas, two will attend Ivy League universities this fall. Others are leaving for schools in Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas and Iowa.

Two will stay closer to home, to attend the University of Arkansas.

Graduation Ceremonies

Today

2 p.m.

Decatur High School — Lloyd Peterson Gymnasium, 1498 Stadium Ave., Decatur

Gentry High School — Bill George Arena at John Brown University, 2000 W. University St., Siloam Springs

4 p.m.

Prairie Grove High School — Tiger Stadium, 300 Ed Staggs Drive, Prairie Grove

Tuesday

7 p.m.

Farmington High School — Cardinal Arena, 12329 N. Arkansas 170, Farmington

Thursday

6 p. m.

Rogers New Technology High School — John Q. Hammons Center, 3303 S. Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Rogers

7 p.m.

Fayetteville High School — Bud Walton Arena at the University of Arkansas, 1270 Leroy Pond Drive, Fayetteville

Shiloh Christian School — Worship Center at Cross Church, 1709 Johnson Road, Springdale

Friday

5 p.m.

Rogers Heritage High School — Bud Walton Arena at the University of Arkansas, 1270 Leroy Pond Drive, Fayetteville

7 p.m.

Springdale Archer Learning Center — Performing Arts Center of Springdale High School, 101 S. Pleasant St., Springdale

8 p.m.

Rogers High School — Bud Walton Arena at the University of Arkansas, 1270 Leroy Pond Drive, Fayetteville

Saturday

8:30 a.m.

Bentonville High School —Bud Walton Arena at the University of Arkansas, 1270 Leroy Pond Drive, Fayetteville

1 p.m.

Springdale High School — Bud Walton Arena at the University of Arkansas, 1270 Leroy Pond Drive, Fayetteville

1 p.m.

Siloam Springs High School — Barnhill Arena at the University of Arkansas, 285 Stadium Drive, Fayetteville

4 p.m.

Springale Har-Ber High School — Bud Walton Arena at the University of Arkansas, 1270 Leroy Pond Drive, Fayetteville

6 p.m.

West Fork High School — Barnhill Arena at the University of Arkansas, 285 Stadium Drive, Fayetteville

May 24

7 p.m.

Fayetteville Adult Education GED graduation — Performing Arts Center of Fayetteville High School, 994 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Fayetteville

May 26

7 p.m.

Lincoln High School — Lincoln High School gymnasium, 1392 E. Pridemore Drive, Lincoln

May 28

3 p.m.

Fayetteville Christian School — Assembly building on the school campus, 2006 E. Mission Blvd., Fayetteville

May 31

7 p.m.

Haas Hall Academy (Bentonville and Fayetteville) — Town Center, 15 W. Mountain St., Fayetteville

— STAFF REPORT

Honorable Mention

The following students achieved honorable mention status on the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s 2016 Academic All-Star Team:

• Lisa Blackketter, Ambassadors for Christ Academy (Bentonville)

• Aubrey Brink, Elkins High School

• Macy Grimsley, Haas Hall Academy (Bentonville)

• Sydney Hicks, Gravette High School

• Mason Miller, Greenland High School

• Alyssa Turner, Arkansas Arts Academy (Rogers)

• Allie Van Houden, Pea Ridge High School

• Hannah Vogel, Rogers New Technology High School

The All-Star Team selection process

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette requested nominations for the Academic All-Star Team from each public and private high school in Benton and Washington counties. A group of three newspaper staff members — two reporters and one editor — chose the Academic All-Star Team from those nominations. The newspaper based its selections primarily on academic performance, but also gave strong consideration to each student’s contributions to his or her school and community.

Source: Staff report

ACADEMIC ALL-STARS

Adam Breach, Rogers High School

College plans: University of Michigan to study business

GPA: 4.38

ACT score: 32

Activities: Regions Student Bank Board; executive vice president of DECA; Link Crew, a group of juniors and seniors that mentor freshmen; Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter volunteer; hockey referee at The Jones Center in Springdale

Top honors: DECA state competition: first place in Principles of Marketing, first place in food marketing; Rogers High School 4.0 Academic Roll (grades 9-12); Chamber of Commerce Certificate of Achievement (grades 10-12); National Honor Society; All-Conference and All-State tennis player

Quote: “My two rules to live by have been ‘Push yourself to your absolute limit’ and ‘the only two things in life that you have complete control over are your effort and your attitude.’”

Reason for nomination: Rogers counselor Jena Anderson said Breach is a leader who sets a high bar for himself. He is worthy of recognition “because he passionately invests not only in his education, but also in the lives of those around him,” Anderson said.

Jonah Hyman, Haas Hall Academy (Fayetteville)

College plans: Princeton University to study mathematics

GPA: 4.36

SAT score: 2400

Activities: Producer of the Haas Hall Talent Show, co-captain of the Quiz Bowl team, intern in the transportation department of the Boulder Valley (Colo.) School District, academic tutor, National Honor Society

Top honors: National Merit Scholarship finalist, AP Scholar with distinction, most valuable player of the North Central Arkansas Regional Quiz Bowl 3A Tournament (2015), Arkansas Model United Nations outstanding delegate-honorable mention, best engineering notebook at BEST Robotics Hub competition (2013)

Quote: About a route map Hyman designed for Ozark Regional Transit: “While bus providers have a long way to go to make their networks transparent, I consider this map a triumph for network legibility.”

Reason for nomination: Haas Hall Superintendent Martin Schoppmeyer said Hyman is one of the top students in the charter school’s 12-year history. Hyman is “an exemplary scholar, leader and responsible community service advocate,” Schoppmeyer said.

John Lavey, Siloam Springs High School

College plans: Iowa State University to study software engineering

GPA: 4.14

ACT score: 35

SAT score: 2170

Activities: Beta Club president, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta president, Tailwaggers volunteer, part-time job as a legal assistant

Top honors: National Merit Scholarship finalist, U.S. Presidential Scholars candidate, AP Scholar with honor, ACTM Regional Geometry Competition third-place finisher (2013), Beta Club Outstanding Service Achievement (2013-2016)

Quote: “Whenever I have trouble staying motivated with my schoolwork, I simply remind myself that it is essential for me to learn as much as I can while I am in school so that I may be successful and provide solutions for as many people as possible once I become a software engineer.”

Reason for nomination: Siloam Springs counselor Krystal Wheat describes Lavey as outgoing, personable and extremely intelligent. “He possesses so much perseverance and motivation unlike the average student,” Wheat said.

Kaitlyn Ragsdale, Shiloh Christian School

College plans: Baylor University to study finance and marketing

GPA: 4.28

ACT score: 30

Activities: Shiloh’s Service and Leadership Team; Blessing Basket helper; short-term service trips to Yucatan, Mexico; Olathe, Kan.; and Indianapolis; elementary Cheer Clinics; Shiloh varsity cheer

Top honors: National Honor Society, All-American cheerleader, All-State and All-Star cheerleader, graduating as an “iThink Scholar” with a GPA above a 4.0, state qualifier for 200-meter dash and 4x100-meter relay in track.

Quote: “I am motivated to excel in school, for I have a respect for my teachers, my parents and my future.”

Reason for nomination: Counselor Debbie Diehm said, “Kaitlyn has taken the most difficult classes Shiloh offers, will graduate first in her class, and has accomplished all this while cheering year round and running track.”

Blayke Rogers, Farmington High School

College plans: Oklahoma State University to study agribusiness and agricultural communications

GPA: 4.29

ACT score: 32

Activities: Junior bank board member, Cardinal Crew group leader, 4-H Washington County president and county and state ambassador, livestock judging and show team for Farmington FFA and Washington County Fair clean-up

Top honors: Arkansas 4-H state record book winner, Arkansas 4-H Teen Star, Miss FHS, Arkansas Girls State delegate and Arkansas Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership delegate

Quote: “An extremely shy 7-year-old, with a profound speech impediment, stands on stage. She is about to give her first ever 4-H presentation. She begins speaking. Her voice quivers, barely above a whisper. Then, her voice becomes stronger and louder. In less than two minutes, it is over, and she feels amazing. So began my passion for public speaking.”

Reason for nomination: Principal Jon Purifoy said Rogers’s intellect and engaging personality allow her to assume leadership roles with confidence and to lead others in a successful team effort.

Liisa Salomaa, Providence Classical Christian Academy (Rogers)

College plans: University of Tulsa to study social work

GPA: 4.3

ACT score: 34

Activities: Volunteer at Camp Barnabas, a summer camp for those facing learning or physical challenges or life-threatening illness; summer mission trip to Guatemala; Benton County Sheriff’s Office employee; National Honor Society

Top honors: National Merit Commended Scholar, class valedictorian, John Brown University president’s scholarship recipient, Governor’s Scholastic Honors Day invitee (2016), Bentonville Kiwanis Community Service Award (2016)

Quote: “Understanding and loving others around me well, that’s what I want to achieve in my life. … My love for people is what motivates me most to study and work hard in class.”

Reason for nomination: Assistant Headmaster David Smith describes Salomaa as an exemplary student who took challenging courses and demonstrates an empathetic character.

Beau Si, Fayetteville High School

College plans: Cornell University to study engineering

GPA: 4.38

ACT score: 35

SAT score: 2340

Activities: Works for Kumon Math and Reading Center of Fayetteville, piano, Quiz Bowl captain, Chinese school and started a cell phone drive for the Medic Mobile charity

Top honors: Presidential Scholar nominee, AP Scholar with distinction, National Merit Commended student, Arkansas State Music Teachers’ Association state piano competition winner and Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce award for leadership and service.

Quote: “Helping others is important to me because generosity and friendliness go a long way in making people’s lives happier and easier. This phone drive is truly one of the most fulfilling things I have done throughout my high school career.”

Reason for nomination: Fayetteville college counselor Leslie Zeagler said Si gives his best effort, chooses the most difficult curriculum and stays involved in giving back to his school and community.

Garrett Story, Springdale High School

College plans: University of Arkansas to study engineering

GPA: 4.08

ACT score: 35

Activities: Varsity tennis, Springdale High School Engineering Academy, Vex Robotics, more than 40 hours of community service through the Engineering Academy, works 35 hours per week at The Grove

Top honors: National Merit Scholar, National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with honor, University of Arkansas Honors College Fellow, Arkansas Governor’s Distinguished Scholar

Quote: “Unlike many seniors, I have buckled down more than ever at this point in order to best prepare myself for my post-secondary studies and even my future career.”

Reason for nomination: Springdale Counselor Diane Hinton described Story as a kind, intelligent and motivated young man who enjoys learning about everything and is fearless about approaching something new.

Gillian Wall, Bentonville High School

College plans: University of Oklahoma to study biomedical engineering

GPA: 4.26

ACT score: 35

SAT score: 2310

Activities: Speech and debate, grades 10-12; Bentonville High School band, grades 9-12; Model United Nations, grades 11-12; Young Democrats, grades 11-12; Bentonville Public Library teen volunteer, grades 11-12

Top honors: National Speech & Debate Association tournament qualifier, grades 11-12; National Honor Society, grades 11-12; National Speech & Debate Association member, degree of superior distinction, grades 10-12; Hendrix College Odyssey Book Award; National Merit finalist

Quote: “One of the most special accomplishments of my life to date has been qualifying to the national tournament in Lincoln-Douglas Debate two years in a row. Through speech and debate, I have found my voice and my place as a member of an organization much larger than myself.”

Reason for nomination: Alice Haney, post-secondary adviser at Bentonville High School, said Wall is an excellent debater, a talented musician and an advanced writer who also possesses a deep desire to make the world a better place.

Noah West, Har-Ber High School

College plans: University of Arkansas to study marketing

GPA: 4.17

ACT score: 34

Activities: Future Business Leaders of America president, Student Council treasurer, DECA officer who was a national qualifier in a Virtual Business Challenge, Senior Class Council and Junior Class Council, leads fifth grade boys at church

Top honors: Arkansas Governor’s Distinguished Scholar, National Honor Society, National Business Honor Society, University of Arkansas Chancellor’s Scholar, AP Scholar with distinction

Quote: “Motivation to excel in school stems from my desire to be the best I can be in all areas of my life. This pushes me to strive for excellence, not settle for mediocrity.”

Reason for nomination: Har-Ber Counselor Colleen Foster described West as a student with a great mind and great character who works to achieve his best in everything he does in school.

The 10 are members of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's 2016 Academic All-Star Team, which consists of high school seniors from Benton and Washington counties chosen for their exceptional work inside and outside the classroom.

All will finish high school with a grade point average above 4.0. Nine have ACT scores that range from 30 to 35; the other one, Jonah Hyman of Haas Hall Academy in Fayetteville, earned a top score of 2400 on the SAT.

Students of such caliber are sought by schools across the country. The college choices of this year's Academic All-Star Team members reflect that.

How do Arkansas' institutions of higher learning attract the state's best students?

Policymakers and universities should seek a balance, said Kathy Deck, director for the Center of Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas. Top students should have every opportunity in the world, but Arkansas institutions also need incentives and programs to give those students reasons to stay, she said.

Incentives include scholarships, study abroad programs, internships and experience with researchers, Deck said.

"This is something that the universities throughout the state and policymakers throughout the state are acutely aware of," Deck said.

The Walton Family Foundation made a $300 million commitment to UA in 2002, with $200 million for the development of an Honors College and $100 million as an endowment for the University of Arkansas Graduate School.

About 3,000 of the nearly 27,000 students at the university are in the Honors College, said Mark Rushing, university spokesman. This fall, the Honors College will have 88 incoming freshmen, with nearly three-quarters from Arkansas schools. They have an average grade point average of 4.2 and an average ACT score of 34, and 31 are National Merit finalists.

"That's the kind of group we're recruiting against Princeton, and any school in the nation would like to have those students," Rushing said. "The Walton gift and the Honors College have made it possible for us to even attempt to attract those students."

The Arkansas General Assembly established the Arkansas Distinguished Scholars Program to encourage the best and brightest to remain in Arkansas while they pursue higher education, said Lisa Smith, spokeswoman for the state Department of Higher Education. The hope is they put their education to work as future leaders of the state. The program began in 1997.

Staying home

Those programs led one of this year's Academic All-Stars -- Springdale High School senior Garrett Story -- to choose the University of Arkansas, where he will study engineering, he said. An Honors College Fellowship will provide $70,000 over four years. He's also an Arkansas Governor's Distinguished Scholar, a scholarship for up to $40,000 over four years.

Story sought balance in high school, making time to see friends and go bowling on Wednesday nights, he said. His hard work in school, however, is paying off with the scholarships. He won't have to worry about loans, he said.

"It's just a big relief," he said. "You can put more time into your college experience, putting more time into trying to be successful in what you want to do."

Story began thinking seriously about where he wanted to attend college last summer. A list of dream colleges included Harvard University, with the University of Oklahoma and UA as backup options.

Story's a little "salty" about not being accepted into Harvard, where he applied early, but was deferred and put on a wait list. He was accepted into both of his backups.

"You want to get out and explore the mindset," Story said. "Just being around the familiar feels like staying home."

Story said he understands why educators and business and community leaders want to keep the best and brightest closer to home to become the next generation of leaders. He had a teacher in Springdale High School's Engineering Academy who encouraged students to go to the University of Arkansas.

"You have kids; they want to go somewhere awesome," Story said. "If they go, they're going to leave this place."

Story said he likes the engineering program and the emphasis on research at the University of Arkansas. He will begin an internship in a few weeks with faculty and graduate students working with nanotechnology.

Some programs at the university and the Honors College will provide options for Story to travel and explore, he said.

Bound for the Ivy League

When Fayetteville senior Beau Si started high school, he hoped to become an engineer in California's Silicon Valley, he said. He was inclined toward Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, so he took many math and science courses.

Si applied to 11 schools and was accepted into seven, he said. His application was rejected by Princeton, and he's on the wait list for Harvard. Si narrowed his choices to Cornell University, an Ivy League school in Ithaca, N.Y., and Georgia Institute of Technology, he said.

He chose Cornell because of its student-led organizations and classes that provide hands-on learning, he said.

"It felt really nice getting into Cornell," he said. "It kind of felt like a personal validation for four years of hard work."

Drawn to other states

Family ties influenced the decisions of two other seniors who will leave Arkansas to continue their education.

John Lavey is graduating from Siloam Springs High School this week with a 4.14 grade point average and an ACT score of 35 -- one point short of the top score.

He's heading to Iowa State University to study software engineering. He initially set his sights on the University of Illinois, but scholarship money didn't come through.

"So then I was looking at other options. My dad and sister had already gone to Iowa State. It's a highly ranked engineering school. And they gave me a lot more money," Lavey said.

Illinois and Iowa State were the only schools to which he applied. He said he looked at Arkansas options, including UA and Hendrix College, but said their computer science departments "weren't quite the caliber I was hoping for."

Adam Breach of Rogers High School has been a University of Michigan fan for much of his life. He has a sister who graduated from Michigan and another sister who's a student there. Not surprisingly, Breach will follow them this fall, even though he received no financial incentive to go to Michigan.

"They have a great business school, and that's what I'm looking to go into," he said. "And I'm fortunate enough that I got pre-admitted to their business school already."

Breach said he likes the university's commitment to diversity.

"I think that's a huge, key point in developing an education because it's kind of cool to see different perspectives come together to solve a problem," he said.

Breach is well-traveled, so he shouldn't have trouble adapting to the geographical change. He was born in Utah, moved to California, to New Jersey, to Arkansas, back to New Jersey and back to Arkansas. He's lived in Northwest Arkansas for the past six years.

The University of Michigan is tied for 12th in U.S. News & World Report's latest ranking of the nation's business schools. The University of Arkansas' Sam Walton College of Business is tied for 63rd on the same list.

Breach said Arkansas has been his favorite place to live; still, he felt no great desire to stay in state for college.

"It's just that there wasn't enough to keep me here," he said. "My sister has already been to the University of Michigan and the business school, so just hearing stories from her and all the different resources she was allowed to use really enticed me and kind of made me realize there are things out there other than here."

NW News on 05/15/2016

Upcoming Events