Over 20 Bremen High School D228 students have earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. These National Recognition Programs grant underrepresented students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country, helping them meaningfully connect to colleges and stand out during the admissions process. Colleges and scholarship programs identify students awarded National African American, Hispanic, Indigenous and/or Rural/Small Town Recognition through College Board’s Student Search Service.

Oak Forest High School’s Karla Pintor, Kathrine Zavala, Luana Porto, Mia Nutile and Nathan Powers, earned a National Hispanic Recognition Award. Student Abdulgafahr Lawal earned a National African American Recognition Award.

"These outstanding Oak Forest High School Students have accomplished this milestone during an immensely challenging period of their high school careers," said Oak Forest High School Principal, Jane Dempsey. "We couldn't be more proud of our student body as a whole, and are excited for their future endeavors.”

Bremen High School’s Michael Julien and Talea Carter were selected for the National African American Recognition Award. Celeste Cisneros, Gerardo Mondragon, Noe Rangel and RJ Castaneda were selected for the National Hispanic Recognition Award. 

"It brings us great joy to celebrate the College Board National Recognition that this group of students has earned,” said Bremen High School Principal, Jessica Rucinski. “Each one of them put forth exceptional efforts in the classroom, which translated to success on College Board assessments and AP Exams. They are truly deserving of this honor."

Tinley Park High School’s Anthony Andrews, Carl Penson, Dinah Hall, Gerges Ibrahim and Oneil Tucker received National African American Recognition Awards. Students Charlotte Feliz and Julian Rosiles received National Hispanic Recognition Awards.

Hillcrest High School’s Jeremiah Hall and  Layla Alexander both received National African American Recognition Awards. 

“This recognition means so much to me, considering the amount of effort I've put toward AP over the last few years,” said Hall. “I am extremely honored and appreciate every bit of recognition from the college board. I'm planning on going to college next fall, so I know these opportunities will make my academic transition smoother.”

“Being recognized by the college board means a lot to me because I know I have worked hard for my AP tests, and even though I didn’t get perfect scores on my exams, my effort has paid off,” Alexander said. “This will remind me to continue working hard in the future and to always show my best effort.”

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.

Eligible students will be invited to apply during their sophomore or junior year and will be awarded at the beginning of the next school year. Students will receive their awards in time to include them on their college and scholarship applications.

“We want to honor the hard work of these students through the College Board National Recognition Programs. This program creates a way for colleges and scholarship programs to connect directly with underrepresented students who they are hoping to reach,” said Tarlin Ray, College Board senior vice president of BigFuture. “We hope the award winners and their families celebrate this prestigious honor and it helps them plan for their big Future.”