Beaufort District Honors Over 200 Junior and Senior Scholars for 2024

Eighth-graders and seniors shine in academics

As the curtain slowly falls on the 2023-2024 academic year, the Beaufort County School District is jubilantly celebrating the achievement of 101 eighth-grade students christened as Junior Scholars and 110 high school seniors hailed as Senior Scholars. These titles, awarded by the South Carolina Department of Education, serve as an honor for students’ display of remarkable academic achievement.

Senior Scholars:

The Senior Scholars were recognized at a banquet held by the Beaufort County School District on April 24. During the event, past recipient Quintilian Fields Jr., who is now an honors student at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, shared his experiences and insights on being a Senior Scholar.

Apart from the shared wisdom, the current scholars were gifted certificates, medals, and cords, which they will proudly wear with their caps and gowns at their June graduation ceremonies. Foundations for their selection were based on their attendance of a Beaufort County high school for a minimum of three semesters, sustaining a 3.5 or greater GPA, and graduating amongst the top 10 percent of their class.

Superintendent Frank Rodriguez shared his pride for these seniors and their accomplishments, stating confidently, “We’re exceptionally proud of what these outstanding seniors have accomplished during their high school years, and we’re confident their successes will continue into the future.”

Junior Scholars:

Mirroring the sentiment of pride, the district likewise celebrated 101 astonishing eighth-graders named 2024 South Carolina Junior Scholars at an event at the end of March. Giving a voice to her past experiences, Ava Gerschutz, a former Junior Scholar, and current senior at Bluffton High School, made a heartfelt statement regarding her journey.

Gerschutz shared her experiences by saying, “My hard work in school was very beneficial because now in college, instead of taking a lot of English or math classes, I will be able to take more aviation-related classes.” She further emphasized the payoff of advanced studies in shaping one’s future collegiate and career paths.

The selection criterion for Junior Scholars is underpinned by students securing scores of 550 or higher in the reading and writing portion, and 530 or more in the mathematics portion of the PSAT/NMSQT. These scholars, glowing with exceptional academic talent, receive a merit award from the South Carolina Department of Education and are even invited to summer academic programs hosted by South Carolina colleges and universities.

Beaufort District’s Promise for Future Scholars

The South Carolina Department of Education and Superintendent Frank Rodriguez believe that these programs will “facilitate junior scholars’ intellectual growth, broaden their individual interests, and promote their scholastic achievement.” Echoing this sentiment, Rodriguez said, “These students have shown phenomenal potential, as their selection as Junior Scholars demonstrates. I know they will work hard on achieving their potential, and it will be our educators’ joy to support them on this journey.”

The dedication of these students towards their academic accomplishments shines brightly, as does the Beaufort District’s commitment towards nurturing their students’ potential and achieving excellence. It is clear that the future of the Junior and Senior Scholars looks promising, with much more to achieve and more strides to make in their academic journeys.