The Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce, Comcast and the county public schools will honor high school seniors named as National Merit Commended, National Merit Scholar Semifinalists and National Achievement Scholars at the 2008 Student Achievement Breakfast on Thursday.
Each year, about 34,000 of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test receive letters of commendation and are deemed National Merit Commended students in recognition of their academic promise.
Additionally, nearly 16,000 students qualify as Semifinalists and are eligible to become National Merit finalists, an honor that carries significant weight on college admissions and scholarship applications.
The National Achievement Scholarship Program is an academic competition that honors outstanding African-American high school students. Students can qualify for recognition and be honored in both the National Merit program and the National Achievement program, but only one monetary scholarship is awarded.
Board of Education President Tricia Johnson, schools Superintendent Dr. Kevin M. Maxwell, Chamber of Commerce Chairman Larry Ulvila and Comcast Vice President and General Manager Bruce Abbott are scheduled to address the honorees. The event will run from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Sheraton Annapolis Hotel, 173 Jennifer Road.
Culinary program called 'exemplary'
Anne Arundel Community College's is the only community college culinary program in Maryland to be named an "exemplary program" by the American Culinary Federation Foundation Accrediting Commission.
AACC's culinary program is one of 23 programs across the country to earn the Exemplary Program award, a new ACF national recognition for programs that receive seven-year accreditations and exceed standards at an on-site evaluation by an industry chef, a culinary educator and an ACFF staff member, said Candice Childers, ACFF accreditation manager. The HCAT Institute will receive the award April 5-7 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
"This accreditation attests to the high quality of HCAT's programming for students and the hospitality industry as the standard for excellence in culinary education," said Mary Ellen Mason, director of the college's Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute."
Salisbury students help out in Ecuador
About 30 Salisbury University undergraduate students - including two from Annapolis - recently spent days painting the courtyard of a public school compound for the economically disadvantaged in Cuenca, Ecuador. The service project, which wrapped up last month, was part of university's Ecuador study abroad program.
The compound houses an all-boys elementary school for 700 students, a co-ed school that serves another 400 boys and girls in kindergarten to seventh grade and a night class for nearly 200 students and adults who work during the day.
"It felt great to give something back to the community that had welcomed us so warmly," senior Christian Bocchichio of Annapolis said.
Wall of Honor awaits at Glen Burnie High
Graduates of Glen Burnie High School can be nominated to be honored this fall on the Alumni Wall of Honor.
Qualifications for candidates include graduating at least 10 years before the nomination and having demonstrated achievements that shine as stellar examples to the students of Glen Burnie High School.
Applications may be picked up in the administrative offices of Glen Burnie High School during school hours. Requests for online applications may be made at jpaugh@aacps.org.
Completed applications along with a photograph of the nominee must be received by the Alumni Wall of Honor Committee by May 1.
Information: Career Counselor Facilitator Jessica Paugh at 410-761-8950.