http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/feb/22/encouraged-to-excel/
For members of Center Hill High School's ACT 30+ club, the honor means a lot more than just seeing their names placed on a wall of the school or having it announced over the intercom or at a football game.
Members of this club have a world of opportunities in front of them.
Members of the newly installed ACT 30+ club at Center Hill High School gather and discuss current events, upcoming tests, college choices, or the latest on one of the schools sports teams.
The ACT 30+ club is made up of students who have made above a 30 on a portion of the ACT or have achieved a composite score of 30. This year the club inducted 27 members.
"We are not the first school to do this, though we may be the first in DeSoto County, but I thought it was a pretty good idea," said George Loper, the school's principal.
Loper, who started the club this school year, hopes by recognizing these students' achievements it will encourage others to excel on the college entrance exam. So far it seems to be working.
"I have students saying things like 'My ACT scores will be in tomorrow. I hope I made the club,'" he said.
Loper stresses that it is not just the "geeks" who are in this club.
Junior Chelsea Dilliard, who has a 32 in English and a 31 in reading, is also a cheerleader. She first took the ACT as a sophomore and received a composite score of 27.
Caitlin Henley, a sophomore, has a 30 on the reading portion and a 30 on the science portion of the ACT. She is also in the band, which finished third in the state this year, a member of the color guard and the winter guard.
ACT 30+ member Taylor Loper, a junior, competes in cross-country, soccer and track. Now he also competes with fellow students for higher ACT scores.
"It's pretty cool to be recognized for this. It's not every day that people get a 30. But we've also become really competitive trying to get a higher score each time," he said.
Taylor scored a 35 in English, 30 in math, 34 in reading and had a 32 composite score.
"Eighty percent of these students (in the ACT 30+ club) are very active in the school in sports and other activities and there are so many more of our students that are capable of making a 30," Loper said.
"We are pushing all our students to take the test as ninth-graders, if they don't then at the beginning of 10th and then take it again as many times as you can, because, if you are from Mississippi and you get a 30 on the ACT you could go to Duke (University) for free." Loper said.
Loper also educates students about waivers they can get to assist them with the cost of taking the ACT multiple times. The school is also helping students hold down costs by hiring a private company for an ACT workshop at a third of the cost students would pay for it individually. This past fall 112 students participated in the workshop.
Students can take the ACT as early as seventh grade, however, all of the inaugural members of the ACT 30+ club achieved their qualifying scores while at Center Hill High.
Since this is the first year of the program the names of club members have yet to be added to the school. They will be part of a permanent display, with names at the end of each school year by an artist hired by the school.
Members of the ACT 30+ Club are seniors Steven Byers, Caleb Chapman, Kalee Fine, Kayla Gaskin, Hayley Monroe, Jayme Nobles, Tyler Pichard, Lillian Roe, Markierah Seals, Shelby Walters, Andrew Weeks and Colby Woods; juniors Melissa Baneck, Chelsea Dilliard, Taylor Loper and Brian Tow; sophomores Alexis England, Caitlin Henley, and Mathew Miller. Also inducted were 2009 graduates Samantha LeJeue, Andrew Overstreet, Max Pennington and Emily Schmidt.
