MOULTRIE, Ga. — Despite missing nearly a quarter of the 2020-2021 school year, 26 Colquitt County High School students performed well enough on their 2020 Advanced Placement (AP) courses to be recognized by the College Board.

Four students were named AP Scholars with Distinction for passing at least seven AP exams with an average score of 3.5 or higher throughout their high school careers: Austin Counts, Eddie Hamilton, Brandon McBride, and Ian Small, the school system said in a press release. 

Three students were named AP Scholars with Honor for earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken with scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams throughout high school. These students include Fletcher Kenney, Ashley Ma, and Alexys Moore. 

Seventeen students qualified as AP Scholars for completing three or more AP exams with scores of 3 or higher, including Persephone Carter, Joshua Doile, Case Gregory, Autumn Hampton, Andrea Hernandez-Sanchez, Kahmin Keller, Steve Ma, Ava McCranie, Alexandra McCray, Mann Patel, Vaidehi Patel, Erick Perez, Muriel Ren, Ryan Smith, Cameron Strange, Lucas Tostenson, and Noah Whitaker. 

Eddie Hamilton, Ashley Ma, and Noah Whitaker received additional recognition for earning AP Capstone Diplomas by scoring three or higher on their AP Seminar and AP Research exams, as well as four additional AP exams. Autumn Hampton, Noah McLaughlin, Ryan Smith, and Jillian Weakland received the AP Capstone Certificate for scoring 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and Research.

Additionally, the College Board selected Colquitt County High School teacher Jennifer Ballard to serve as an AP Exam Reader in English Language and Composition for a fourth consecutive year and C.A. Gray Junior High School teacher Justin Nelms as a reader for World History for a second year, the school system reported.

The College Board’s AP Program provides willing and academically prepared students the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school and earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP exams, the school system said.

AP Capstone is a diploma program based on two year-long AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. Rather than teaching subject-specific content, these courses develop students’ skills in research, analysis, evidence-based arguments, collaboration, writing, and presenting. More than 60 high schools across the state participate, and Colquitt County High School is one of only five schools south of Macon to offer the program during the 2019-2020 school year.

AP exams are developed by university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring alignment with the same high standards expected by college faculty at some of the nation’s leading liberal arts and research institutions. More than 3,600 colleges and universities annually receive AP scores, and most four-year colleges in the United States provide credit, advanced placement, or both for qualifying exam scores.