Students Named Academic All-State
Two district students, Mark Deimund and Isaac Freeman of Putnam City North High School, have been named to the 2006 Academic All-State Class by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.
Deimund and Freeman are two of the 100 top public high school seniors, selected from 594 nominations statewide, hailing from 68 different schools in 64 Oklahoma school districts. Each of this year’s All-Staters will receive a $1,500 scholarship, a medallion and a commemorative plaque. The All-Staters will be recognized at the foundation’s 20th annual Academic Awards Banquet on Saturday, May 20, at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in Tulsa.
In the 19 years Academic All-Staters have been named by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, 96 Putnam City students have been so honored, more than any school system in the state.
David L. Boren, chairman and founder of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, describes the selection of the scholars as "Oklahoma’s most rigorous academic competition." To be nominated for Academic All-State, students must meet one of the following criteria:
- An American College Test (ACT) composite score of at least 30
- A Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) combined critical reading and math score of at least 1350
- Selcted as a semifinalist for a National Merit, National Achievement or National Hispanic Scholarship
This year’s All-Staters scored an average of 33 on the ACT, with three recipients scoring a perfect 36. In addition, 57 of this year’s All-Staters are National Merit semifinalists, while two are National Hispanic semifinalists.
Academic All-Staters are nominated by their principals or superintendents and are selected on the basis of academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community involvement, as well as an essay submitted by each nominee.
The selection committee, which is chaired by Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Marian P. Opala, works independently of all other foundation activities. The committee members are a diverse group of business, education and civic leaders. Academic All-State alumni and former Medal for Excellence winners also sit on the selection committee.