Rio Rico High School Celebrates Students Awarded with Academic Honors from College Board National Recognition Programs

Awards recognize high-performing students and help them stand out to colleges

Students at Rio Rico High School earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. These programs celebrate students' hard work in high school and showcase their strong academic performance. The academic honors for rural area, Black, Indigenous, and/or Latino students are an opportunity for students to share their strong academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs that are seeking to recruit diverse talent.

At Rio Rico High School, 5 students received academic honors following categories:

Andres Flores: National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA)
Axel Oros: National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA)
Abigail Rocio Burgos: National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA). “I’m so grateful for this opportunity that was given to me. This tight-knit community makes receiving this recognition such an honor, and I'm glad to represent them.”
Stefen Kemp: National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA), and the National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA). “I am extremely proud of my accomplishment because it represents how much dedication and work I have put into my education. It proves to me that hard work is rewarded, and you should never be afraid to try your best.”
Uriel Rivas: National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA)

“We’re thrilled to celebrate our students and recognize them for the great work they’ve been doing. We’re proud of their strong academic performance in the classroom and on College Board assessments like the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and AP® exams,” said Principal John Kneup. “There’s so much that makes our students unique, and receiving this honor reinforces this as an asset for their future.”

The criteria for eligible students include:

GPA of 3.5 or higher.

PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 assessment scores that are within the top 10% of assessment takers in each state for each award program or earned a score of 3 or higher on 2 or more AP Exams in 9th and 10th grade.
Attend school in a rural area or small town, or identify as African American/Black, Hispanic American/Latino, or Indigenous/Native.

Eligible students are invited to apply on BigFuture during their sophomore or junior year and are awarded at the start of the next school year in time to share their achievements in high school as they plan for the future. At the same time, colleges and organizations using College Board’s Student Search Service™ can connect directly with awardees during the recruitment process.

“It’s becoming increasingly hard for students to be ‘seen’ during the college recruitment process. We’re exceptionally proud of the National Recognition Programs for celebrating students who are at times overlooked but have shown their outstanding academic abilities,” said Tarlin Ray, senior vice president of BigFuture® at College Board. “This is a benefit not only for students but also for colleges and universities committed to recruiting diverse and talented students.”