The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts will hold its 2017 commencement ceremony in Horner Hall at the Hot Springs Convention Center at 2 p.m. May 27.
The Class of 2017 is comprised of 107 students from 38 Arkansas counties. Some of the notable achievements of the class include:
• Qualifying eight students for the 2017 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. The students tied the highest number of students to qualify for ISEF in school history. Two students won grand awards at the competition held in Los Angeles this month. It was the eighth year out of nine that at least one ASMSA student has received a prize at the ISEF competition.
• ASMSA’s Research in the Park program and other student volunteers were named the national recipient of the George and Helen Hartzog Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service by a Youth Group. The National Park Service Volunteers-in-Parks program will recognize the group formally during an event in Washington, D.C., this August.
• Two students were named regional finalists in the Siemens Competition for Mathematics, Science and Technology. They were among a group of the nation’s top 100 student researchers from among 1,600 projects submitted.
• A team of students were selected to compete in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl in Corvallis, Ore., by winning the northern Texas regional competition earlier this year.
• Two teams of students qualified to compete at the Governor’s All-State Coding Competition. The teams finished in first and second place, earning ASMSA a $20,000 technology prize for the first-place team’s efforts.
• Eight students were named National Merit Scholarship Finalists. Twelve students were named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists.
Hayward Battle, the chair of the ASMSA Board of Visitors, will serve as the commencement speaker for Saturday’s ceremony. Dr. Donald Bobbitt, president of the University of Arkansas System, will also speak. Seniors Lauren Capes of Booneville and Jason Ly of Jonesboro will address their classmates.