Record Number of DMPS Students are AP Scholars
One hundred and ninety students who take Advanced Placement classes at Des Moines Public Schools have earned AP honors from the College Board, it was announced today, an increase of nearly 50% in the number of awards compared to last year.
And among the honorees are a record number of 29 students who have been recognized as AP National Scholars. To earn the prestigious AP National Scholar Award a student must take eight or more AP exams and receive a near perfect score of four or higher (on a scale of 1-5) on each exam. Last year 19 DMPS students earned AP National Scholar recognition.
There are also two firsts this year for AP National Scholars who attend DMPS: at least one student from each of Des Moines’ five high schools was recognized and one student earned the award as a sophomore.
In addition, each year the College Board names one male and one female State AP Scholar to recognize the students with the highest average score on Advanced Placement exams. This year’s winner of the female State AP Scholar for Iowa is Kayleigh Hauri, a 2012 Roosevelt High School graduate now attending Georgetown University. Since 1991, 34 of the 42 students receiving the State AP Scholar for Iowa Award have attended Des Moines Public Schools.
“The great success of these students is an inspiration, and their nationally recognized accomplishments in the classroom are testament not only to their talent and intelligence but also to the great teachers and educational opportunities that are available here in Des Moines,” said interim Superintendent Tom Ahart.
Recipients of the AP National Scholar Award for 2012 are:
SENIORS (Class of ’12)
Jack Bequeaith – Roosevelt (Williams College)
Philip Bui – East (Iowa State University)
Philip Dobrinov – WDM Valley (University of Chicago)
Brady Edwards – Lincoln (Northwestern University)
Emma Fisher – Roosevelt (St. Louis University)
Tyler Foley – Roosevelt (University of Wisconsin)
Corey Grief – Roosevelt (Northwestern University)
Kayleigh Hauri – Roosevelt (Georgetown University)
Will Hemminger – Roosevelt (Elon College)
Rachel Jacobs – Roosevelt (Northwestern University)
Zach Lindeberg – Roosevelt (Baylor University)
Sarah Liu – WDM Valley (MIT)
Margaret Long – Roosevelt (University of Notre Dame)
Matthew Mackay – Roosevelt (University of Toronto)
Stephanie Manivanh – Roosevelt (Harvard University)
Megan Mansfield – Roosevelt (MIT)
Sarah Mansfield – Roosevelt (Tufts University)
Naveen Nath – Roosevelt (Duke University)
Samuel Norman – Roosevelt (Creighton University)
Rebecca Rasmussen – Roosevelt (Grinnell College)
Yeltsin Rodriguez – East (University of Iowa)
Takashi Yanagi – WDM Valley (University of Notre Dame)
JUNIORS (Class of ’13)
Eric Chen – WDM Valley
Ashley DeHaan – East
Thanh Lai – Hoover
Nathan Leys – Roosevelt
Luke Sheeley – Roosevelt
Julius Tembe – North
SOPHOMORE (Class of ’14)
Max Pilcher – Roosevelt
NOTE: The above students took some of their classes at Central Academy. The students’ home high schools are listed, as well as the college they are now attending for members of the class of 2012.
In addition to 29 AP National Scholars, 67 Des Moines students were recognized as AP Scholars with Distinction, 22 as AP Scholars with Honor, and 72 as AP Scholars. Since 1991, Des Moines Public Schools students have earned a total of 2,221 AP Scholars awards, including 290 AP National Scholars.
Beyond Advanced Placement courses offered at Central Academy, Des Moines Public Schools has made significant expansions in the AP courses offered at all five of the district’s comprehensive high schools as each now provides a wide range of AP courses in social studies, science, English and mathematics. Last year, participation in the AP exam increased more than 80% among Des Moines students.
The College Board, which administers the Advanced Placement program, annually releases the AP Scholars list for each school district following the results of the Spring Advanced Placement testing. The College Board’s mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. In addition to the Advanced Placement program, its programs include the SAT college entrance exam and the PSAT/NMSQ. Additional information regarding the Advanced Placement Program is available at www.collegeboard.com.