The New Richmond Exempted Village School District is pleased to announce that New Richmond High School junior Cate Coulter and senior Eleanor “Grace” Reid 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.
Both Cate and Grace said they are surprised and honored by the recognition. They challenge themselves academically by taking rigorous courses including AP classes offered at New Richmond High School and have taken the PSAT. Additionally, Cate has taken the ACT.
“It’s an incredible honor,” Grace said of the recognition. “It’s not something I quite expected.”
Cate expressed similar sentiments. “I strive to do well in school and it feels great to be recognized,” she said.
It’s also a nice honor for New Richmond High School, Cate said.
“I don’t feel like New Richmond students get recognized enough for our academics,” she added.
Upon graduation, Grace hopes to study chemistry at Cornell University and possibly earn a degree in chemical engineering.
Cate is looking into the University of Kentucky and is currently interested in pursuing a degree in either biology or nursing. Ultimately she would like a career as a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant.
Cate is the daughter of Carol Ann and Eric Coulter.
Grace is the daughter of Susan and Gregory Reid
Anytime we get an opportunity to recognize our students, we should absolutely do that, said NRHS Principal Joseph Stewart.
“As we are building our AP program here at the high school, it is important to promote the hard work of our students,” he said. “These two students have gone above and beyond to get recognized by the College Board. I want New Richmond to be a destination school district when it comes to academics. It’s a long road but we are off to a great start, and if we continue to build on our successes, we will achieve our goal.”
The PSAT is most often taken by students during their sophomore and junior years of high school but at New Richmond, we have encouraged freshmen students to begin standardized testing via this test, according to NRHS Guidance Counselor Byron Trapp. Mr. Trapp is the school’s College Board and AP Coordinator. The PSAT measures evidence-based reading and writing skills, as well as mathematical problem-solving which are important for success in college.
It is also a great indicator of how students will perform on the SAT, he said. When a student takes the PSAT during their junior year, they have the opportunity to qualify for the National Merit qualification. Students in the 99th percentile for their state are eligible for this prestigious award which can open the door to a variety of scholarships and college opportunities.
At NRHS we also have students take the PreACT their freshman and sophomore years and they will take a free ACT test their junior year, Mr. Trapp said. Students also have the opportunity to take the ASVAB during their junior or senior years.
Students who may be eligible for the College Board National Recognition Programs 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 in their college and scholarship applications.