Author: Donnie Sewell

Four Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts student musicians qualified for the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association South Region Orchestra.

The students auditioned for the orchestra during regional auditions on Oct. 12 at Courtway Middle School in Conway. The students who earned recognition include:

• Nathaniel Hansen, a junior from Bentonville, second chair, violin, third chair;
• Krish Mehta, a junior from Conway, viola, 11^th chair;
• Sophie Carroll, a senior from Little Rock, oboe, first chair; and
• Allison Belongia, a junior from Russellville, bassoon, first chair.

The students will participate in the South Region Orchestra Clinic on Nov. 6-7 at Conway High School. The clinic will close with a free concert at 3 p.m. Saturday.

The students also qualified for All-State auditions which will be held on Feb. 6, 2027, at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia.

Several Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students received recognition at the recent Region 3 Senior High All-Region Choir, earning spots in three choirs.

Region 3 All-Region auditions were held Oct. 3 at Bryant Junior High School. The Region 3 All-Region Choir Clinic will be held on Nov. 7 at First Baptist Church in Hot Springs. A free concert featuring the three choirs will begin at 4 p.m.

Students who earned recognition include:

• Faith Smith, a sophomore from Hot Springs, 17^th chair, Soprano 1, Mixed Choir;
• Madalie Stane, a junior from Benton, 43^rd chair, Soprano 1, Soprano/Soprano/Alto/Alto Choir;
• Lizzie Ball, a sophomore from Little Rock, 21^st chair, Soprano 2, Soprano/Soprano/Alto/Alto Choir;
• Virginia Smart, a junior from Altheimer, 44^th chair, Soprano 2, Soprano/Soprano/Alto/Alto Choir:
• Abhigya Aachi, a sophomore from Benton, 38^th chair, Alto 1, Soprano/Soprano/Alto/Alto Choir;
• Rossi Pham, a sophomore from Camden, 10^th chair, Tenor 1, Mixed Choir;
• Daniel Leslie, a senior from Jonesboro, 8^th chair, Bass 1, Mixed Choir;
• Jordan Dennis, a sophomore form Sheridan 43^rd chair, Bass 1, alternate; and
• Luke Baker, a sophomore from Wynne, 39^th chair, Bass 2, Tenor/Tenor/Bass/Bass Choir.

Students who were selected for the Mixed Choir qualified to audition for All-State Choir. Auditions will be held Feb. 5, 2027, at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts has opened the application process for the 2027-2028 academic year for current freshmen and sophomores in the Classes of 2029 and 2030.

ASMSA is a public high school serving academically and artistically motivated students from all backgrounds from throughout the state of Arkansas. About 250 students in the 10^th, 11^th and 12^th grades attend classes and live on the Hot Springs campus in a residential community of learning unlike any other in the state.

“From college-level coursework and research to the arts as well as leadership opportunities and the experience of living and learning alongside other highly motivated students, ASMSA allows students to challenge themselves in ways that can truly shape their future,” said Jason Hudnell, director of external affairs at ASMSA. “We are excited to open another application cycle and encourage students and families to take a closer look at what ASMSA has to offer and see if it might be the right fit for them.” 

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts is the top public high school in Arkansas in the 2027 Niche.com rankings.

It is the fifth year in a row that ASMSA has earned the No. 1 spot in the website’s Best Public High Schools in Arkansas rankings. Niche.com is a website that provides in-depth profiles of thousands of colleges, K-12 districts and individual schools across the nation. Parents and students use Niche’s information to find the right school for them.

In addition to topping the website’s Best Public High Schools in Arkansas list, ASMSA is ranked in the top quarter-percent of public high schools in the nation. The school is ranked No. 58 out of 20,665 schools nationwide. ASMSA is the only school in Arkansas ranked in the top 200. It is also the top-ranked school in the state in Niche.com’s Best College Prep Public High Schools in Arkansas list and No. 50 overall in the nation.

Registration for the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts Talent Identification Program 2026-27 cohort is open.

ASMSA-TIP provides gifted students, parents and educators with resources and guidance that are tailored to support a child’s educational, social and emotional development. Such programs empower students to reach their full potential while helping parents and educators make the best educational decisions for their students.

ASMSA-TIP is open to current sixth- through ninth-graders in Arkansas who meet any one of the following criteria:

• The student scored Level 4 (Advanced) on one or more subtests of the ATLAS assessment or on another standardized test accepted by the state.
• The student has been formally identified as gifted or talented by their school district.
• The student has been recommended by a teacher, administrator or educational community leader (Scout leader, camp counselor, etc.).

All participants will receive monthly e-newsletters with specific content for gifted and talented students and their parents as well as access to a variety of in-person and virtual programming designed to enrich students’ learning and develop their talents.

There are three pathways open for participants. They include the Discovery Pathway for sixth-graders, the Testing Pathway for seventh- and eighth-graders, and the Alumni Pathway for returning eighth- and ninth-graders.

Participants in the Testing Pathway receive a voucher to take the ACT as above-level test, providing students an opportunity to take the test earlier than it is traditionally offered. Participants receive detailed insight into the student’s academic strengths as well as a customized guidance report based on their ACT score. A $95 testing fee applies. A limited number of scholarships for families with financial need are available. The Discovery and Alumni Pathways are free of charge.

“Above-level testing through ASMSA-TIP can provide families and educators with valuable information about a student’s ability, and many families use this data to make more informed decisions about their child’s academic future,” said Dr. Ash Hicks, ASMSA assistant director of talent and scholar development.

Testing Pathway participants also have an opportunity to earn statewide recognition based on their ACT performance. During the 2025-26 academic year, ASMSA-TIP served 1,158 sixth- through eighth-grade students and 200 Gifted and Talented educators from 72 of the state’s 75 counties. Participants were from approximately 200 public school districts as well as private school and homeschool students. Ultimately, more than 700 of those students submitted ACT scores to ASMSA-TIP, with 478 students qualifying for recognition in some capacity.

To learn more about ASMSA-TIP or to register, visit asmsa.me/asmsa-tip.

Lonzo Terry III, a student at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, has been named a 2027 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist.

Terry is a senior from Cave Springs. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 72^nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program on Sept. 9. Semifinalists will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $24 million that will be offered next spring.

Isabella Zhang spent her summer break working in a lab at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences researching a DNA inhibitor that may help reduce cancer cells in gliomas in the future.

On July 29, Zhang, a junior at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, had an opportunity to share her research at the 13^th annual Arkansas Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium at UAMS in Little Rock. The symposium provided students from 36 colleges and universities as well as seven high schools from across the United States an opportunity to present their research.

Zhang worked this summer in the laboratory of Dr. Alicia Byrd, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Thanks to funds from the ASMSA Foundation, Zhang was able to live in student housing on the UAMS campus this summer, making her summer research possible.

Her research focused on a compound that may possibly inhibit high expression levels of DNA helicase B (HELB). High levels of HELB reduce overall survival chances of patients with gliomas, the most common primary tumors of the brain and spinal cord, according to Zhang’s research. A HELB inhibitor could be a valuable therapeutic target for gliomas, but no HELB inhibitors have been discovered.

Zhang is the first ASMSA sophomore to work in a UAMS lab after informally auditing the junior Capstone class last year. Byrd has previously hosted ASMSA students in her lab working on similar research, including Luis Vidal of the Class of 2026, Carmella Lewis of the Class of 2025 and Hannah Taylor of the Class of 2024.

Dr. Whitney Holden and Dr. Patrycja Krakowiak, who both serve as a Life Sciences Instructor of Excellence at ASMSA, helped connect Zhang with Byrd. Holden said Zhang showed early enthusiasm for research that shows great potential.

“Isabella has demonstrated remarkable initiative and scientific maturity, becoming the first ASMSA sophomore to conduct summer research at UAMS before formally beginning her junior Capstone year,” Holden said. “The best part is that this is only the beginning for Isabella! Thanks to her hard work and scientific curiosity as well as the resources ASMSA provides, she is well positioned to continue doing rigorous research with the potential to improve health in our communities.”

Holden cited the ASMSA Foundation’s support for Zhang’s summer housing and the institutional support from the Residential Life department of providing twice-weekly transportation to UAMS for Zhang and other students this year to continue research at UAMS.

“It is a big team effort here at ASMSA to support our emerging young scientists,” Holden said.

The symposium was sponsored by the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with support from the UAMS Graduate School, the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program, the Center for Molecular Interactions in Cancer, the Central Arkansas Chapter of Sigma XI and MedChemExpress.

To read more about the symposium, click here.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts student music ensembles recently released their concert schedules for the 2026-27 school year.

The ASMSA Wind Ensemble, ASMSA String Ensemble, ASMSA Jazz Ensemble and the ASMSA Choir will hold their respective performances in the Creativity and Innovation Complex on campus at 200 Whittington Ave. The December 2026 and in May 2027 performances will include both the ASMSA String Ensemble and the ASMSA Choir.

The concert performance schedule is:

• String Ensemble, 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 13;
• Wind Ensemble, 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 15;
• Choir, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 8;
• String Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 8;
• Jazz Ensemble, 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 9;
• Wind Ensemble, 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 10;
• String Ensemble, 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 2, 2027;
• Wind Ensemble, 7 p.m., Thursday, March 4, 2027;
• Choir, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 4;
• String Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 4;
• Jazz Ensemble, 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 5; and
• Wind Ensemble, 7 p.m., Thursday, May 6.

The concerts are free and open to the public. They will also be broadcast live on the school’s social media pages on Facebook (www.facebook.com/armathsciarts) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/@armathsciarts_video).

Eight Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students were among the approximately 400 rising seniors who attended the 47th annual Arkansas Governor’s School in July.

Arkansas Governor’s School is a four-week noncredit program that creates a unique learning experience for some of the state’s top students to become potential leaders. Participants choose from nine areas of study in STEM, arts and humanities subjects. The program is funded by the Arkansas State Legislature through the state Department of Education, allowing participants to attend at no cost. It is held annually on the Arkansas Tech University campus in Russellville.

Students also attended classes on epistemology — a branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origin and limits of knowledge — and a class that helped them explore their own thoughts on learning. Evening events included movies that were discussed in class, speakers, field trips and recreational opportunities. Arkansas Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge spoke to the students on the final full day.

ASMSA students who participated in Arkansas Governor’s School and their chosen focus area included:

• Clem Sutterfield of Little Rock, Social Science;
• Judah Raimondi of Summit, English;
• Divi O’Dell of Cabot, Visual Arts;
• Dane Adamson of Lonoke, Drama;
• Wyatt Cowan of Texarkana, Math;
• Gabby Cowan of Texarkana, Natural Science;
• Amelia Wesley of Hot Springs, Instrumental Music; and
• Colt Erwin of Hot Springs, Math.

Seven Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students earned recognition in the Arts Across Arkansas 2026 competition.

ASMSA students placed in the Film, Literary Arts and Music Composition categories. The event included exhibitions and performances by 54 students from about 30 schools who were selected as finalists in six arts categories. More than 160 students were nominated for the awards, which were announced during the state finals on March 28 at the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College.

Students who earned recognition include:

Film

• Andy Kneebone, a junior from Arkadelphia, and Isabel Ross, a junior from Crossett, first place
• Jhada Armstrong, a senior from Hot Springs, second place

Literary Arts

• Spencer Bryant, a junior from Little Rock, second place
• Layla Cullipher, a junior from Lewisville, third place

Music Composition

• Eli Gregory, a senior from Monticello, second place
• Ian Glasgow, a junior from Sherwood, third place

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Several students were among the finalists in various categories, including:

• Literary Arts: Cody Barton, a junior from El Dorado, and Lexi Louden, a junior from Camden,
• Music Composition: Matthew Carter, a senior from Hot Springs,
• Visual Arts: Isabel Ross, a junior from Crossett, and
• Photography: Lexi Louden, a junior from Camden; Priya James, a senior from Mountainburg; and Eli Gregory, a senior from Monticello

Arts Across Arkansas is a program that aims to encourage, enhance and expand students’ original thoughts, processes, personal experiences and artistic abilities, according to the program’s website. It is sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Division of Arkansas Heritage.