HAHIRA— Valwood School announces the names of the middle school students who qualified to participate in the highly selective Duke University Talent Identification Program seventh grade talent search.
The seventh graders scored in the 95th or better percentile on a nationally normed achievement test, school officials said.
Candidates for the program are invited to take the ACT or the SAT as seventh-grade students, which allows them to identify their academic strengths, develop their abilities and interests and celebrate their achievements, school officials said.
The Valwood seventh-grade Duke TIP candidates are Olivia Brooks, Wesley Clark, John Laurent Dean, Alexander Gee, James Godbee, Thomas Griner, Isabella Holloway, Maggie Mays, Luke Register, Kasen Rice, John Scarpate and Ella Grace Spell.
Along with the seventh graders, Duke TIP has a recognition program for fourth through sixth graders. Candidates for the program are invited to take the PSAT, school officials said.
The Valwood fourth through sixth grade candidates are sixth grade, Fred Bajalia, Alberto Garcia, Murphy Johnson, Samuel Jordan, Grant Moss, Elijah Perez, Sienna Persaud, Jaxson Routsong, Craig Shapiro, Charles Sanderlin and Hannah Ward; fifth grade, Nicolas Alvarado, Nathan Bozung, Louden Castor, Annasten Creech, William Holloway, Cort Kurrie, Kyndal Register and Jed Respess; and fourth grade, Sophia Bajalia, Sam Ofori and Julia Soshnik.
The talent search is beginning its 38th year and is the largest program of its kind in the nation. More than 3 million students have completed the talent search since its inception in 1980.