The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts held its annual Honors Convocation on Monday, May 11. The Honors Convocation is an opportunity to recognize students’ academic achievements for the school year as well as special awards and fellowships.
Zee Kidd, a senior from Little Rock, was featured as a student speaker during the event. Kidd encouraged her fellow members of the Class of 2026 to reflect on how they see the world, each other and themselves. She described how she first felt upon arriving at ASMSA, wondering if she belonged. Her experience as a student resulted in her learning to not view the world for what it is currently but for what it could be.
“Visualize a world where we refuse to see the world for what it is and take action to turn it into what we want it to be,” Kidd said. “Look beyond your doubts and hesitations. Look beyond your insecurities and abandon your preconceptions.”
Students who were recognized included:
Humanities Department
Outstanding Graphic Arts Designer: Katherine Sedgwick, a senior from Arkadelphia
Outstanding Visual Arts Junior: JD Whitworth, a junior from Paragould
Outstanding Visual Arts Senior: Coley Rogers, a senior from Cherokee Village
Outstanding Wind Ensemble Junior: Sophie Carroll, a junior from Little Rock, and Rowan Moser, a junior from Corning
Outstanding Wind Ensemble Senior: Giea de los Reyes, a senior from Hot Springs, and Jacob Lewis, a senior from Clinton
Outstanding Choir Award: Beau Goldthorpe, a senior of Goldthorpe
Outstanding Jazz Award: Eli Gregory, a senior from Monticello
Outstanding String Ensemble Award: Anna Le, a senior from Fort Smith
Outstanding Creative Writing Junior: Gabby Cowan, a junior from Texarkana
Outstanding Creative Writing Senior: Celeste White, a senior from North Little Rock
Outstanding History Achievement – National History Day: Makenna Kutzschebauch, a senior from Benton
Outstanding U.S. History: Grace Ann Conn, a senior from Van Buren
Outstanding World History: Pilar Johnson, a junior from Hensley
Outstanding Social Science: Michelle Li, a senior from Sherwood
Outstanding Humanities Junior: Paris Goodman, a junior from Black Rock
Outstanding Humanities Senior: Ridgely Bond, a senior from Marion
Outstanding Beginning French: Paris Goodman, a junior from Black Rock
Outstanding Intermediate French: Ridgely Bond, a senior from Marion
Outstanding Advanced French: Priya James, a senior from Mountainburg
Outstanding Beginning Spanish: Amanda Zhu, a junior from Hot Springs
Outstanding Intermediate Mid-Level Spanish: Colton Melson, a senior from Springdale
Outstanding Intermediate High-Level Spanish: Landen Bowen, a junior from Jonesboro
Outstanding Advanced Spanish: Emily Lin, a senior from Little Rock
Outstanding Beginning Japanese: Camilla Booher, a sophomore from Mena, and Aiyah Miller, a sophomore from Benton
Outstanding Intermediate Japanese: Malee Vang, a senior from Lincoln
Outstanding Advanced Japanese: Miranda Lee, a senior from Conway
Outstanding Photographer: Priya James, a senior from Mountainburg
Mathematics/Computer Science Department
Outstanding Math Sophomore: Logan Viverios of Morrilton and Justin Lin of Stuttgart
Outstanding Math Junior: Lonzo Terry of Cave Springs and Jacob Clingan of Benton
Outstanding Computer Science Junior: Meredith Parker of Little Rock and Story Clark of Hackett
Outstanding Computer Science Senior: Mason Vaden of Dardanelle and Kaiyan Yu of Benton
Science Department
Outstanding Biology Student: Isabella Zhang, a sophomore from Jonesboro
Outstanding Junior Biology Student: Kemdi Ekeanyanwu of Little Rock and Rebekah Johnson of Sherwood
Outstanding Senior Biology Student: Emily Lin of Little Rock and Nathan Grady of Blytheville
Outstanding Sophomore Chemistry Student: Jim Larsen of Fayetteville and Ronney Ngo of Little Rock
Outstanding Junior Chemistry Student: Jacob Clingan of Benton and Gabby Cowan of Texarkana
Outstanding Senior Chemistry Student: Mason Sims of Compton and Jacob Lewis of Clinton
Outstanding Junior Physics Student: Story Clark of Hackett and Jacob Clingan of Benton
Outstanding Senior Physics Student: Madeline Lee of Maumelle and Paul Boerwinkle of El Dorado
Outstanding Sophomore Earth and Space Science Student: Maddox Phillips of Hot Springs
Outstanding Junior Earth and Space Science Student: Zoey Terry of Malvern
Outstanding Senior Earth and Space Student: Dray Makepeace of Hagarville
Outstanding Junior Engineering Student: Lyndon Yang of Randolph County and Gabrielle Leslie of Jonesboro
Outstanding Senior Engineering Student: Jun Park of Maumelle and Montgomery Wines of Vilonia
Outstanding Junior Environmental Science Student: Paisley Hillman of Hot Springs and Zoey Terry of Malvern
Outstanding Senior Environmental Science Student: Grace Ann Conn of Van Buren and Addie Nance of Delight
ASMSA Foundation Fund Awards and Fellowships
George H. Connor Award (Male Senior Mathematics): Nathan Harbut of Hot Springs
Melanie Nichols Award (Female Senior Mathematics): Anna Le of Fort Smith
Dan A. Benton Award: Ridgely Bond, a senior from Marion
John Harrison Humanities Student Award: Violet Dailey, a senior from Sherwood
Alderdice Family Award for Excellence in the Arts: Coley Rogers, a senior from Cherokee Village
Alderdice Family Award for Excellence in Music: Giea de los Reyes, a senior from Hot Springs
Don Munro Award for Humanities: Nakoa Beattie, a senior from Monticello
Computer Science Summer Research Fellowship: Story Clark, a junior from Hackett
Murphy USA Summer Research Fellowship: Kemdi Ekeanyanwu, a junior from Little Rock, and Rebekah Johnson, a junior from Sherwood
Trustees’ Service Fellowship: Andy Kneebone, a junior from Arkadelphia, and Isabel Gagnon, a junior from Salem
ASMSA Class of 2000 Student Leadership Impact Award: Catherine Van Dorple, a senior from Cabot
Charlie Cole Chaffin Student Service Award: Anna Le, a senior from Fort Smith
ASMSA Student Support Award: Cameron Thomas, a sophomore from Huttig
Computer Science Student Award: Anna Le, a senior from Fort Smith
Dr. Jon Ruehle Life Sciences Award: Aarush Goyal, a senior from Bentonville
The PavelPax Project Fellowship Award: Grace Ann Conn, a senior from Van Buren, and Lisandro Ramos, a senior from Little Rock
Summer Science Research Grant: Zoey Terry, a junior from Malvern; Chris Koscinski, a junior from Scotland; Jacob Clingan, a junior from Benton; Spencer Schaaf, a junior from Prairie Grove; and Ava Esworthy, a junior from Benton
Regeneron Science Talent Search Top 300 Scholar: Luis Vidal, Jr., a senior from Fort Smith
Summer Music Fellowship: Rowan Moser, a junior from Corning
Special Awards
Clarkson University Leadership and Achievement Award: Isabel Gagnon, a junior from Salem
University of Rochester-George Eastman Young Leaders Award: Clem Sutterfield, a junior from Little Rock
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Science and Math Award: Jacob Clingan, a junior from Benton
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Computing Award: Hai Dinh, a junior from Sherwood
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Engineering and Technology Award: Colt Erwin, a junior from Hot Springs
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Business and Leadership Award: Collin Green, a junior from Perryville
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Art and Design Award: Andy Kneebone, a junior from Arkadelphia
University of Rochester-Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award: Ava Esworthy, a junior from Benton
University of Rochester-Xerox Award: Story Clark, a junior from Hackett
University of Rochester-Frederick Douglas and Susan B. Anthony Award: Kemdi Ekeanyanwu, a junior from Little Rock
Horatio Alger Scholar: Tristan Henson, a senior from Maumelle
Centre College Fellows: Skyli Clark, a junior from Holiday Island
M.H. “Bill” Simmons Memorial Scholarship: Luis Vidal Jr., a senior from Fort Smith