Academic awards clarified

By Lynsi Musselman

The Albany Academic Booster Club recently handed out $6,700 in 23 academic scholarships for two separate programs that reward local seniors for success on the SAT and ACT college entrance exams.

Top Scores

The Booster Club awarded $4,500 to students who shared the highest scores in a program called “Top Scores.”

Booster Club members Tamara Trail and Darla Cotter explained that traditionally, these competitive awards are meant to honor the three students with highest scores on the ACT exam and on the SAT exam. 

This year, there were third place ties on both tests, extending the awards to four students in each of the two cate-gories.

SAT Awards

Aubrey Moon recorded the highest local score on the SAT test, earning $1,000. 

Addi Asher scored second earning $500, and Alayna Koemel and Jaleigh Morales tied for third place earning $250 each.

ACT Recipients

Asher and Gregori Mikeska tied for the highest ACT scores to receive $1,000 each, and Moon and Morales tied for third place earning $250 each.

Merit Scholars

The Academic Booster Club rolled out a new non-competitive, “Merit Scholars” program this year, granting awards to all test takers who met score benchmarks.

Cotter said the program is modeled after Angelo State University’s Carr Scholarships and is meant to encourage all students to take both the SAT and ACT exams, and then work to improve their scores by studying and retaking the tests.

The merit awards are within reach of most college-ready students, according to the Booster Club information.

Students are not competing against each other for the merit awards, and there is not a limit on the number of students who can earn an award.

Under the current Booster Club matrix, scholarships from $50 to $1,000 can be earned from an ACT score of 22 or above, as well as 1100 and above on the SAT.

The Academic Booster Club distributed $2,200 in 15 academic scholarships to students who achieved scores with the “Merit Scholars” matrix. 

The 2020 “Merit Scholars” were Asher, Max Balliew, Seth Hale,  Koemel, Gracie LeMay, Mikeska, Moon, and Morales.

Eight AHS students earned money for their efforts on the ACT, and seven received awards on the SAT.

The award amounts and some of the other information that the News was given and reported last week as part of the Albany High School academic awards recognition was not complete. This article should clarify the two ABC programs.