Monday, January 7, 2008

Dallas ISD scholars to be recognized

2007 Graduates Anne Simons and Spencer Coffey are the two Advanced Placement State Scholars for this year

By Pegasus News wire

DALLAS — Dallas Independent School District Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa and other district administrators will honor district achievers and their teachers in the National Merit and Advanced Placement programs at the Academic Scholars Reception, at 6 p.m., Wednesday, January 9, at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center.

"When students focus on learning and work hard, they are rewarded with achievement," said Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa. "The high standards that these students have achieved will make them successful in college. It is important also to acknowledge the dedication of teachers and parents for assuring that students graduate ready for college and the workforce."

The Advanced Placement Program Scholars Awards are intended to recognize high school students who have demonstrated college-level achievement through AP courses and examinations. Although there is no monetary award, students receive a certificate and the achievement is acknowledged on grade reports sent to colleges the following fall.

Approximately 460 scholars will be honored this year, out of them 7 students are National Merit Semi-Finalists.

This year, the two state scholars are from Dallas ISD. This makes a total of eight state scholars for the district in the past six years.

Anne Simons, a 2007 graduate of the School for the Talented and Gifted at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, passed more AP exams than any other female in Texas this year. She passed 20 exams, with scores of four or five on each of them. Simons currently attends Brown University and is working toward double degrees in English and French.

Having passed 20 exams also, the male state scholar for this year is a graduate of the School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center. Spencer Coffey, also passed more AP exams than any other male in the state this year. Coffey is concentrating on achieving a degree in mechanical engineering at Rice University where he currently is enrolled.

The keynote speaker will be Alicia M. Hartsfield, a 1991 Dallas ISD Pinkston High School graduate. Hartsfield graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. Currently, Hartsfield is a chemical engineer for Siemens.

Source: Dallas Independent School District

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