SAN DIMAS/LA VERNE – The College Board has recognized 14 Bonita High School and 10 San Dimas High School students with National Recognition Awards, an honor given to underrepresented students for academic excellence.

Each Bonita Unified student received the award for placing in the top 10 percent of students taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test or placing in the top 10 percent of Advanced Placement (AP) exam scores among California Hispanic, African American or Indigenous students.

San Dimas High students receiving the National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA) are seniors Charley Aldana, Isabella Trejos, Judas Lopez, Kareem Jouzy, Lorenzo Romero, Vanessa Sandoval and Jaiden Miranda, as well as juniors Adiel Araiza, Ayanna Garcia and Kailey Tapia. Jaiden Miranda was additionally recognized with the College Board’s National Indigenous Award (NIA).

“The San Dimas High staff is excited to learn that these students earned this prestigious recognition from the College Board,” San Dimas High principal Scott Sparks said. “The students’ hard work and a dedicated staff focused on student success made all the difference. These recognitions will help our students from underrepresented backgrounds stand out to the colleges during the admissions period.”

Bonita High students receiving the NHRA award are seniors Andrea Torres, Brianna Lopez, Katelyn Roney, Katherine Mora, Nathaniel Gonzalez, Riley Martinez, and Vicente Marroquin, as well as juniors Audrey Granger, Danielle Napoles, Isaac Gutierrez, Julien Barajas, Nadia Cole-Gutierrez, and Rita Ochoa. Bonita High senior Wonders Eze received the National African American Recognition Award (NAARA).

“The College Board recognition reflects the focus and dedication of our highest-achieving students,” Bonita High principal Kenny Ritchie said. “Our faculty and staff are committed to providing every student the tools and resources they need to become lifelong learners. Congratulations to our Bearcat scholars, who are setting a high standard for their classmates.”

The College Board has four recognition programs which award academic honors to underrepresented students – the NHRA, NIA, NAARA and the National Rural and Small Town Award. To qualify for the awards, a student must have a 3.5 grade point average, identify as a student in one of the underrepresented groups, live in the United States and take at least two AP exams with a score a 3 or higher.

The San Dimas and Bonita High recipients all identify as Hispanic or Latinx, African American or Indigenous students. The College Board encourages students that receive academic honors to list these awards in their college and scholarship applications.

San Dimas High School offers AP courses in 20 subjects and achieved its highest-ever pass rate during the 2021-22 school year – surpassing the national average of 60.5%, as did Bonita High, which had more than 1,000 students take at least one AP exam during the 2021-22 school year.

“Congratulations to our Bonita Unified scholars on this well-deserved recognition of their academic excellence,” Bonita Unified Interim Superintendent Matt Wien said. “This award is representative of the high standard of achievement in our District, as well as what is possible when students have safe, engaging learning environments and supportive teachers, staff and administrators.”

PHOTOS:

BUSD_COLLEGEBOARD1: The College Board has recognized San Dimas High School students Kailey Tapia, Vanessa Sandoval, Jaiden Miranda, Kareem Jouzy and Ayanna Garcia with its National Hispanic Recognition Award.. Jouzy also received the National Indigenous Award.

BUSD_COLLEGEBOARD2: San Dimas High School students Isabella Trejos, Adiel Araiza, Judas Lopez, Lorenzo Romero and Charley Aldana have been honored by the College Board for their high academic achievement.

BUSD_COLLEGEBOARD3: The College Board has honored Bonita High School students Nathaniel Gonzalez, Katherine Mora, Isaac Gutierres, Julien Barajas, Nadia Cole-Gutierrez, Riley Martinez and Andrea Torres with National Recognition Awards, celebrating their academic excellence on PSAT or AP exams.

BUSD_COLLEGEBOARD4: Bonita High School students Katelyn Roney, Vicente Marroquin, Danielle Napoles, Wonders Eze, Brianna Loza, Audrey Granger and Rita Ochoa received National Recognition Awards from the College Board, an honor given to underrepresented students for academic excellence.