SAN DIMAS/ LA VERNE – The College Board has recognized 11 Bonita Unified Class of 2018 graduates and a current senior as National Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars, highlighting a successful year for the District’s AP program as it continues to increase pass rates for AP exams and the number of students attending four-year universities.

Bonita High School’s graduates named as National AP Scholars include: Stephen Brod, Rachel Cheung, Cynthia Dang, Garrett Palmer, Valerie Warner, Justin Woo and Monica Wu. San Dimas High School’s students include: Cameryn Baker, Aidan Ferguson, Ahmed Hasan and Jonathan Tsai.

The National AP Scholar title is awarded to students who earn an average score of at least 4 on all AP exams and who score 4 or higher on eight or more exams.

Ferguson, a San Dimas High School senior who maintains a 4.64 GPA, hopes the prestigious title will help him on his path to Princeton, where he plans to study physics.

“AP is the top of the totem pole in education and this recognition shows that I worked my hardest to get this credit,” Ferguson said. “I love the challenge of AP because the rigor and difficulty mean I can go 100 percent and push my limits.”

The AP program offers several AP Scholar Awards, including the AP Scholar with Distinction award and the AP Scholar with Honor award.

In 2018, AP Scholar Awards went to 148 students from Bonita High School, with 37 being named with distinction and with 35 earning the award with honors. At San Dimas High School, 93 students earned the award, with 28 recognized with distinction and 14 with honors.

Forty-two percent of Bonita High School’s Class of 2018 grads were admitted to four-year universities. San Dimas High School showed that 31 percent of graduates were accepted to four-year institutions.

“Bonita Unified has dedicated its efforts to increasing access to AP classes for all students and providing support to students and staff to ensure higher levels of success,” Bonita Unified Superintendent Carl J. Coles said. “We are proud of our students for their hard work and dedication to excel academically, and we cannot wait to see where their passions take them.”

Bonita Unified’s two comprehensive high schools offer more than 25 AP courses.

BONITA_AP_PROGRAM_1: 11 Bonita Unified Class of 2018 graduates and a senior were recognized as National Advanced Placement Scholars, highlighting a successful year for the District’s Advanced Placement program.