Huntington High School seniors Tyler Abedin and Melisa Torres have been named National Hispanic Scholars by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional academic performance.
“I am honored to be named a National Hispanic Scholar,” Ms. Torres said. “I hope that through this I am able to proudly show my heritage and the achievements I have made. It shows that I have had an excellent academic career and will it show colleges that I am a strong student.”
The program recognizing outstanding Hispanic/Latino high school students was initiated in 1983 by the College Board. Every year, the NHRP recognizes about 5,000 Hispanic/Latino students from a pool of more than 250,000 who take the PSAT.
“It’s an honor to be accepted as a National Hispanic Scholar and I am proud to represent my heritage,” Mr. Abedin said. The teenager is on the Blue Devil soccer team and is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Italian, Math and Science Honor Societies. He is also an Interact Club member.
Students with a junior year cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher are designated as scholars and those with a GPA of between 3.0 and 3.49 are recognized as honorable mentions.
“I am so proud of our students for their outstanding performance on this exam,” Huntington Principal Brenden Cusack said. “To be in the top 2.5 percent of students of Hispanic descent in the nation is a truly remarkable achievement. These students represent the very best Huntington High School has to offer!”
Recipients must have ancestors from at least one of these countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, or Venezuela.
“The school district community is beyond proud of Tyler and Melisa as a result of their efforts both within and beyond the classroom,” Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “Their academic performance, as well as their drive and determination, continue to set the standard for all students. We know great things lie ahead for both of them.”
Ms. Torres plans to be a participating member of the high school environmental club, Chinese cultural exchange club, Interact and the Dispatch student newspaper. She’s also going to be volunteering at the Huntington Public Library. Finally, she’s a member of the English, Spanish and Social Studies Honor Societies and she intends to be active in each of the organizations.
“I plan to go to a four year university and possibly aim for a creative writing major,” Ms. Torres said. “I want to focus on the humanities and possibly urban studies. I want to pursue a career possibly editing or even writing novels and short stories.”
Mr. Abedin has also been giving thought to his post high school plans. “I feel college is an essential part of my life and I’m hoping to go somewhere big,” he said. “I plan to major in the STEM field.”