Staley High graduate earns perfect score on ACT | The Kansas City Star

Staley High School

Academic achiever: Jen Harvey, a graduating senior, achieved a perfect score on the ACT, 36.

The ACT, a national college entrance exam, consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science. Earning the highest possible score places Harvey in the top 1 percent of all test-takers nationwide.

She is the first student at Staley to earn this distinction.

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Park Hill High School

Students selected: Jessica Binckley, a freshman, and Eunice Jung, a sophomore, earned a place in Duke University’s summer programs.

Jessica was selected for Duke’s nanotechnology field studies program. She will learn about the study of microscopic particles and visit the Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology Mesocom Facility.

Eunice will learn about clinical psychology during a two-week session that includes college-level courses.

North Kansas City School District

Outstanding performers: Students qualified for the International Thespian Festival this month in Lincoln, Neb., by earning Superior ratings at the Missouri Thespian Conference.

Top individual honors were won by Alyssa Heyer, a sophomore at North Kansas City High School, for a monologue; and by Ana Blazekovic, a senior, and Samantha Thomas, a sophomore, both from Oak Park High School.

Ana earned a Superior in costume construction and Samantha, in solo monologue.

From Winnetonka High School, seniors Maddie Fields and Kali Holman received a Superior rating for their musical theater duet.

The festival showcases high school performances and offers workshops and master classes for students and educators.

National Merit Scholarship Corp.

College-sponsored awards: Northland graduating seniors are among 3,200 students nationwide chosen to receive scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities.

Scholarship recipients are Benjamin Ross of Liberty North High School from Missouri University of Science and Technology, Joshua Neudorf of North Kansas City High School from the University of Chicago, Kelly Decker of Park Hill High School from Truman State University, Brett Francis of Park Hill South High School from the University of Oklahoma, Spencer Kunz of Platte County R-3 High School from the University of Oklahoma and Savannah Pate of Smithville High School from the University of Oklahoma.

Colleges select scholarship winners from among the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Finalists who plan to attend their institution. The awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.

Gladstone Rotary Club

Scholarships awarded: Five Northland graduating seniors received $1,000 scholarships to help with college expenses.

The winners were Mariah Thompson and Kozhen Zhala, graduates of North Kansas City High School, Jillian Brauninger and Daja Neal, graduates of Staley High School and Ethan Beumer, a graduate of Winnetonka High School.

Neal received the John Michael Memorial Scholarship, given in memory of a longtime club member who was involved in teaching and other programs at area community colleges. Neal will be attending Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods.

Brauninger was awarded an Interact scholarship, given to an outstanding member of Staley’s Interact club, a Rotary-sponsored organization for high school students.

Beumer plans to attend Kansas State University in Manhattan. Thompson will attend Truman State University and Zhala, the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Recipients were chosen based on academic excellence, leadership roles in their schools and essays about their plans for the future.

Su Bacon, Special to The Star