Three Mount Madonna School (MMS) senior students, Mariah Cohen, Cecily Kelly and Zoey Ocampo-Sobkoviak, are among 62,000 students nationwide awarded academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs for academic achievements in school and outstanding performance on the PSAT 10, and/or Advanced Placement (AP) exams.
All three students received the College Board’s National Rural and Small Town Award, and Ocampo-Sobkoviak was also recognized with the National Hispanic Recognition Award.
Cohen and Ocampo-Sobkoviak also received AP Scholar with Distinction recognition, and Kelly was named an AP Scholar with Honors. This recognition was earned as a result of their junior year PSAT and sophomore and junior year AP tests.
“At MMS we understand and honor the many ways that our students demonstrate academic success,” commented Director of Upper School Shannon Kelly. “I am proud of these students’ hard work and dedication. They took on the challenge of AP coursework and testing and committed to putting in the time necessary to be successful. They are versatile learners, capable of both creative and innovative thinking as well as adapting to more structured learning environments.”
Three additional MMS students received College Board awards based on sophomore and junior year AP testing:
Grade 11: Sandy Astone, AP Scholar; Samuel Kaplan, AP Scholar with Distinction; and grade 12, Benjamin Pearson, AP Scholar with Distinction.
Students who may be eligible have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have excelled on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10, or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP Exams; and are African American or Black, Hispanic American or Latinx, Indigenous, and/or attend school in a rural area or small town.
“We want to honor the hard work of these students through the College Board National Recognition Programs,” said Tarlin Ray, College Board senior vice president of BigFuture. “This program creates a way for colleges and scholarship programs to connect directly with underrepresented students who they are hoping to reach. We hope the award winners and their families celebrate this prestigious honor and it helps them plan for their big future.”
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Nestled among the redwoods on 375 acres, Mount Madonna School (MMS) is a diverse learning community dedicated to creative, intellectual, and ethical growth. MMS supports its students in becoming caring, self-aware, discerning and articulate individuals; and believes a fulfilling life includes personal accomplishments, meaningful relationships and service to society. The CAIS and WASC accredited program emphasizes academic excellence, creative self-expression and positive character development. Located on Summit Road between Gilroy and Watsonville. Founded in 1979.
