Five students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts have been named 2026 National Merit Scholarship Finalists.

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. recently announced the names of the Finalists in the 71^st annual National Merit Scholarship Program this spring. The students, all members of the Class of 2026, will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.

The ASMSA seniors named Finalists are:

• Aarush Goyal of Bentonville;
• Tristan Henson of Maumelle;
• Anna Le of Fort Smith;
• Catherine Van Dorple of Cabot; and
• Kaiyan Yu of Benton.

To be considered for the National Merit Scholarship Program, students take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as a junior.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. It was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four batches in the spring and summer of 2026. Winners will receive scholarships sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Program, national corporations and businesses, and colleges and universities across the nation.

Micaela Collver, an Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts senior from Greenbrier has been recognized as a U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidate.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars program is considered one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. It was established in 1964 by executive order of the president to recognize and honor some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars’ review committee selects honored scholars annually based on their academic success, personal characteristics, leadership, and service activities, in addition to the quality and content of their essays.

Collver was among 91 Arkansas students selected as candidates this year. Each year, more than 4,000 candidates are identified for the component of the program that focuses on academic achievement as well as having scored exceptionally well on the SAT or the ACT.  Eligible students are U.S. citizens and legal permanent U.S. residents who will graduate or receive their high school diploma between January and August of the current program year and have taken the ACT or SAT assessment on or before October of the previous year.

Approximately 650 students will be named semifinalists in April after the next round of review, and up to 161 students will be recognized in May as Presidential Scholars. If a student is selected as a U.S. Presidential Scholar, they will be honored in Washington, D.C., in June. To commemorate their achievement, the Scholars are awarded the U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House.

Four Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students earned scholarships in the recent 2025/2026 Thea Foundation Scholarship Competition.

Seniors Beau Goldthorpe of Benton, KC Cavin of Mount Vernon, Priya James of Mountainburg and Makenna Kutzschebauch of Benton were among the 36 students statewide who earned scholarships in the competition. The foundation awarded $219,000 in scholarships in five categories: Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Creative Writing, Film and Fashion.

Thorpe placed fourth in the Performing Arts category, earning a $7,000 scholarship. Cavin placed third in the Visual Arts category, earning an $8,000 scholarship. James placed second in the Film category, earning a $9,000 scholarship. Kutzschebauch placed third in the Film category, earning an $8,000 scholarship.

The annual competition is for Arkansas graduation high school seniors. The organization’s first scholarship was awarded in 2002. The program is now endowed and has provided more than $3.7 million in scholarships. A full list of scholarship recipients may be found on the foundation’s website.

Several Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students earned recognition at the 60^th Arkansas Model United Nations Conference held at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

Among the recognition students earned were:
• Best Position Paper: Republic of Korea, delegates Tatum Polzin, a senior from Little Rock; Aaron Bruce, a sophomore from Hot Springs; Nathan Harbut, a senior from Hot Springs; Jordan Roper, a junior from Hot Springs; Bailey Bray, a senior from Greenbrier; Colt Erwin, a junior from Hot Springs; Halie Cook, a senior from Pine Bluff; Phoenix Dunkley, a senior from Little Rock; and Aarush Goyal, a senior from Bentonville;
• Economic and Social Council Outstanding Delegate Honorable Mention: Republic of South Korea — Halie Cook, a senior from Pine Bluff;
• Human Rights Council Outstanding Delegate Honorable Mention: South Africa — Nora Medlock, a senior from Dyer;
• Council of the Arab League Outstanding Delegate Honorable Mention: Lebanon — Max Monroe, a senior from Hot Springs;
• Security Council Outstanding Delegate Honorable Mention: Republic of South Korea — Aarush Goyal, a senior from Bentonville; and
• Model International Court of Justice Outstanding Delegate Honorable Mentions: Lebanon — Paris Goodman, a junior from Black Rock, and South Africa: Tristan Henson, a senior from Maumelle.

The conference was held Nov. 21-22. The Arkansas Model UN is an experiential learning activity with the primary goal of providing high school students with a unique opportunity to enhance their communication skills, improve critical thinking skills and increase their understanding of diplomacy and international politics.

Dr. Don Baker, a former ASMSA instructor, served as the keynote speaker during the opening session. Baker has been a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State since 2005.

The conference is hosted by the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies at UCA.

The annual conference provides a setting in which students can simulate representative of various countries throughout the world in the decision-making bodies of the United Nations. It provides the students an opportunity to gain an understanding of the history and structure of the international body, according to the conference’s website.

Three finalists have been announced in the search for the next executive director at Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (ASMSA) in Hot Springs, with each making independent campus visits between March 13-20.

The finalists were selected with the help of a 12-member advisory search committee chaired by Michael Moore, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs for the University of Arkansas System, which is advising UA System President Jay B. Silveria as he seeks a candidate to recommend to the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas for final approval.

The finalists will visit campus starting this week for meetings with faculty, staff, administrators, students and various ASMSA stakeholders.

The finalists, in order of their scheduled visits, include:

• Peter L. Gess, Ph.D. (March 13) Economic Policy Director, Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families
• Derek McDowell, Ph.D. (March 18) Director of Secondary Academics, Amarillo (Texas) Independent School District
• Carllos Lassiter, Ed.D. (March 20) V.P. for Student Affairs and Community Engagement, Austin College (Sherman, Texas)

Fifteen Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students earned recognition at the FBLA District IV Spring Conference.

The district conference was held at the University of Arkansas at Hope-Texarkana’s Hope campus on Feb. 4.  The students participated in competitive events that were either an objective subject test, performance or presentation, or a combination of an objective test and a performance component.

Students who placed in the top six in objective test competitions or top five in a performance or presentation event at the district qualified to compete in the state competition, which will be held April 7-8 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts is accepting applications for 2026 Summer@ASMSA camps.

Summer@ASMSA is a program that provides free, one-week summer camps for current eighth- and ninth-grade students in all Arkansas schools as well as seventh-graders participating in ASMSA-TIP. All camp activities — including tuition, housing meals and class supplies — are free. The camps will be held on ASMSA’s campus in Hot Springs on Sunday, June 14 through Thursday, June 18.

Students may apply to participate in one of eight different camps that will provide a fun and challenging atmosphere. The camps include:

• Arkansas Goes Global: World Languages and Cultures (Sponsored by AEGIS): Campers will explore the rich connections between global languages and Arkansas’ own cultural and economic landscape. Through a focus on Spanish, French, Japanese and German, campers will discover how each language leaves its mark on the state’s history, community and industry.
• Aviation and Aerospace Engineering (Sponsored by xCelle Americas): Campers will be introduced to the different areas and tools of engineering as well as the standards of the engineering design process as they explore aerodynamics and what makes aviation possible.
• Chamber Music (Sponsored by AEGIS): Campers will expand their instrumental musical experience through ensemble performances, receive personalized instruction from experienced educators, and attend workshops on topics such as music theory and history.
• Environmental Science and Biotechnology (Sponsored by AEGIS): Campers will conduct fieldwork, find a crystal at a quartz mine in the Ouachita Mountains and learn how to evaluate the health of our ecosystems in Hot Springs National Park with immersive experiences. Preference will be given to ninth-graders.
• Ignite Camp: Campers will explore the physical and life sciences, digital and studio arts, literature and more through engaging activities led by ASMSA faculty and community partners. Preference will be given to seventh-graders in ASMSA-TIP.
• Physics in Motion: Theme Park Thrills (Sponsored by AEGIS): Mathematics and physics will come alive for campers as they investigate how concepts from geometry, trigonometry, statistics, probability and physics explain the motion, forces and design behind amusement park rides.
• StoryLab: The Writing Process Across Genres (Sponsored by AEGIS): Campers will explore how writers develop ideas, shape language and bring stories to life across multiple forms.

Application deadline is April 30.

Housing and meals will be provided in ASMSA’s Student Center, where nightly fun activities will be planned by members of the school’s Residential Life staff.

To apply for Summer@ASMSA, visit asmsa.me/summeratasmsa26. For more information, email talent@asmsa.org, call (501) 622-5116 or visit www.asmsa.org/outreach/summer-at-asmsa.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts recognized winners of the 27^th annual West Central Regional Science Fair during an awards ceremony on Feb. 27.

Tanvi Marupally, a senior from Conway, won first place overall for her project in the Biomedical and Health Sciences category. The team of seniors Nathan Grady of Blytheville, Emily Lin of Little Rock and Kaitleen Toh of Little Rock won second place for their Translational Medical Science project. Third-place overall went to senior Miranda Lee of Conway for her Materials Science project.

The overall winners were awarded a trip to participate in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, which will be held May 9-15 in Phoenix, Ariz. The event is the world’s largest pre-college STEM competition. Students from around the world are expected to compete for awards, prizes and scholarships.

The science fair featured 54 projects, 37 by individuals and 17 by teams. The projects were completed by 73 ASMSA students representing 55 different high schools from around the state.

Individual awards were also announced in various categories. The top three projects and some high-placing honorable mentions in each category earned entry into the Arkansas State Science and Engineering Fair that will be held at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway on April 3-4.

Individual category winners included:

Animal Science: 1. Team of Paola Sustaita of Sheridan and Nora Medlock of Dyer 2. Team of Paisley Hillman of Hot Springs and Ayda Coleman of Texarkana 3. Cael Arnold of Mountain View

Behavioral and Social Science: 1. Isabella Zhang of Jonesboro 2. Sophie Lee of Russellville 3. Team of Claira Hartig of Greenbrier and Lydia Robertson of Pea Ridge Honorable Mention: Team of Alexander Cox of Russellville and Errol Nagy of Little Rock

Biomedical and Health Sciences: 1. Tanvi Marupally of Conway 2. Jack Ghotra of Little Rock

Cellular and Molecular Biology: 1. Luis Vidal of Fort Smith 2. Team of Graydon Anderson of Little Rock and Rasikh Imam of Little Rock

Chemistry (Sponsored by Evonic Inc. and presented by Megan Tustison Alvardo of the ASMSA Class of 2017): 1. Subi Shakya of Russellville 2. Sophie Milton of Jonesboro 3. Jacob Clingan of Benton 4. Colten Ward of De Queen

Earth Science: 1. Team of Riley Richardson of Belleville and Dray Makepeace of Hagarville 2. Zoey Terry of Malvern 3. Blue Smith of Searcy

Engineering Technology: Honorable Mention: Bridger Foyt of Blytheville and Grey Ivy of Paragould

Environmental Engineering: 1. Catherine Van Dorple of Cabot 2. Rose Patella of Little Rock

Environmental Sciences: 1. Aarush Goyal of Bentonville 2. Team of Addie Nance of Delight and Jade Espinoza of Corning 3. Team of Spencer Schaaf of Prairie Grove and Lydia Gray of Melbourne

Materials Science: 1. Miranda Lee of Conway 2. Team of Derek Ramey of Dardanelle and Gavin Rion of Pottsville Honorable Mention: Team of Afton Krebs of Alexander and Montgomery Wines of Vilonia

Mathematics: 1. Anna Le of Fort Smith 2. Nathan Harbut of Hot Springs 3. Jacob Lewis of Clinton

Microbiology: 1. Isaac Cotton of Stuttgart 2. Team of Beau Goldthorpe of Benton and Stevie Watkins of Perryville 3. Bella Guzman of Benton

Physics/Astronomy: 1. Kaiyan Yu of Benton 2. Team of Michelle Li of Sherwood and Mason Sims of Compton Honorable Mention: Team of Yun Park of Maumelle and Paul Boerwinkle of El Dorado

Plant Science: 1. Jeremiah Chen of North Little Rock 2. Pilar Johnson of Hensley 3. Raegan Smith of Jonesboro Honorable Mention: Elijah Antonacci of Greers Ferry

Software Development: 1. Kian Shojaei of Russellville 2. D’Kirrah Ragland of North Little Rock 3. Mason Vaden of Dardanelle Honorable Mentions: Benjamin Dong of Arkadelphia, Caleb Keeling of Arkadelphia

Translational Medical Science: 1. Team of Emily Lin of Little Rock, Nathan Grady of Blytheville and Kaitleen Toh of Little Rock 2. Kemdi Ekeanyanwu of Little Rock 3. Elijah Stanton of Eudora

Several special awards and recognition were also announced during the awards ceremony. They include:

Regeneron Science Talent Search Recognition: Luis Vidal of Fort Smith

Soybean Science Challenge award recognizes a student for their project as well as their project adviser for an outstanding project in soybean science or agriculture: Raegan Smith of Jonesboro, advised by Dr. Burt Hollandsworth

Missouri University of Science and Technology Kummer Center for STEM Education award for outstanding junior research students: Isabella Zhang of Jonesboro, Zoey Terry of Malvern, and the team of Paisley Hillman of Hot Springs and Ayda Coleman of Texarkana

Trinity Environmental Consultants award recognizes a project that best develops a solution for an environmental problem with a preference given to an outstanding junior: Team of Spencer Schaaf of Prairie Grove and Lydia Gray of Melbourne

Association of Women Geoscientists for outstanding geoscience project by female or non-binary student(s): Zoey Terry of Malvern

NASA Earth System Science Award for outstanding earth science project: Blue Smith of Searcy

NOAA Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award for a project that emphasizes science, service and stewardship in addressing issues related to climate, weather, oceans and coasts: Team of Riley Richardson of Belleville and Drayton Makepeace of Hagarville

Ricoh USA, Inc. for Sustainable Development award: Aarush Goyal of Bentonville

Stockholm Junior Water Prize to the top project related to water quality and water resource management: Team of Riley Richardson of Belleville  and Drayton Makepeace of Hagarville

United States Air Force award: Miranda Lee of Conway, Subi Shakya of Russellville, Tanvi Marupally of Conway, Kian Shojaei of Russellville, Nathan Harbut of Hot Springs, Grey Ivy of Paragould, Bridger Foyt of Blytheville, Sophie Milton of Jonesboro

U.S. Navy: Catherine Van Dorple of Cabot, D’Kirrah Ragland of North Little Rock

U.S. Metric Association award for best use of the International System of Units: Miranda Lee of Conway

Yale Science and Engineering Association award for best 11^th-grade exhibit in computer science, physics, chemistry or engineering: Jacob Clingan of Benton

Citadel Securities Innovation Prize for an outstanding project demonstrating data-driven decision making: Team of Emily Lin of Little Rock, Nathan Grady of Blytheville and Kaitleen Toh of Little Rock

Regeneron Biomedical Science Award for an outstanding project in translational medical science, microbiology or medical science: Kaiyan Yu of Benton

Public viewing for the West Central Regional Science Fair at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 27.

The event will be held in the Creativity and Innovation Complex on the ASMSA campus, which is located at 200 Whittington Ave. in Hot Springs. The event is free and open to the public. It will feature research conducted by ASMSA students.

An awards ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Friday in the CIC. The top overall winners will earn a trip to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair that will be held May 9-15 in Phoenix, Ariz.

Five Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts student musicians were selected as Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association All-State Musicians.

Students who earned All-State recognition are participating the Arkansas All-State Music Conference on Feb. 19-21 in Hot Springs. A limited number of musicians were selected for three bands — Wind Symphony, Symphonic and Concert — as well as a Symphonic Orchestra.  Wind Symphony is the top band followed by the Symphonic and then Concert bands. Symphonic Orchestra is the only group that includes strings. Each band will hold clinics on Thursday and Friday followed by a concert on Saturday.

ASMSA students selected to participate in the All-State Music Conference include:

• Giea de los Reyes, a senior from Hot Springs, third-chair percussion, Wind Symphony, No. 3 overall in the state.
• Sophie Carroll, a junior from Little Rock, first-chair oboe, Symphonic Band, No. 3 overall in the state;
• Jacob Lewis, a senior from Clinton, fifth-chair flute, Symphonic Band, No. 13 overall in the state;
• Beckett Beam, a senior from Russellville, sixth-chair tuba, Concert Band, No. 20 overall in the state; and
• Anna Le, a senior from Fort Smith, sixth-chair viola, Symphonic Orchestra, No. 6 overall in the state.

Saturday’s concerts will be held in the Bank OZK Arena at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The concert schedule for Saturday is:
• Symphonic Orchestra, noon;
• Concert Band, 1 p.m.;
• Symphonic Band, 2 p.m.; and
• Wind Symphony, 3 p.m.