RCPS releases list of AP Scholars honored

Story Updated:  Rockdale County Public Schools on Aug. 24 released the names of all of its students honored as AP Scholars. The names of the students were not provided in a previous news story published this week. 

CONYERS, GA. – Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) is honoring the 104 students recently named 2023 Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars – including two AP Capstone Diploma recipients and one AP Seminar and Research Certificate recipient – for their outstanding performance on the 2022-2023 exams. This is an increase of 21 students from the previous year with all three of our high schools represented among AP Scholars. The percentage of RCPS students scoring 3 or higher also increased 5 percentage points over the previous year.

“I commend our Advanced Academics Coordinator and her outstanding team to include our gifted specialist, school counselors, school administrators, registrars, and especially our teachers for their unwavering commitment and dedication to ensuring advanced academic success,” said RCPS Superintendent Terry Oatts. “Over the last several years, we have seen consistent AP achievement gains with increased AP enrollment, increased AP course offerings, increased AP test takers, increased AP exam achievement, and increased number of AP Scholars identified.”

Each year, thousands of high school students across the world take AP exams. The College Board recognizes the hard work of top students through the awarding of several distinctions: AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Honor, AP Scholar with Distinction, and the AP Capstone Diploma.

Fifty-five RCPS students were recognized as AP Scholars. This distinction is given to students who receive a score of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. Of those, 49 were students at Rockdale County High School (RCHS) (which includes students in Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, RMSST), four attended Heritage High School (HHS), and two were students at Salem High School (SHS).

Eighteen RCPS students were recognized as AP Scholars with Honor, which is awarded to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and score a 3 or higher on four or more of those exams. Of those, 16 were students at RCHS (which includes RMSST), and two were students at HHS.

Twenty-eight RCPS students were recognized as AP Scholars with Distinction, which is awarded to those students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams and score 3 or higher on five or more AP exams. These 28 students were at RCHS (which includes RMSST).

Two RCPS students earned the prestigious AP Capstone diploma. These two students attended RCHS/RMSST. The AP Capstone is a diploma program based on two yearlong AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. Instead of teaching specific subject knowledge, AP Seminar and AP Research use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management, and presentation skills students need for college-level work. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing receive the AP Capstone Diploma.

One RCPS student earned the AP Research and Seminar Certificate.  Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research but not on four additional AP Exams receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.  This student attended RCHS/RMSST.

RCPS congratulates the following students:

AP Capstone Diploma

Grace Kirkland

Amani Roberson

AP Seminar and Research Certificate

Dylan Burkey

AP Scholar with Distinction

Alexa Apiyo

Precious Babajide

Abigail Buchanan

Noah Buchanan

Olivia DeFrancesco

Trenton Fulgham

Jose Funes

Prakash Gupta

Camille Hall

Kayla Holland

Jr Insular

Trinity James

Jeriko Kammerer

Andrew Land

Duc Le

Kayla Lewis

Lauren McWilliams

Camila Moreno

Alan Nguyen

Stewart Oser

Delano Page

Hayaa Patel

Isabella Powell

Amani Roberson

Kathryn Stoltz

Andrew Tyler

Ryan Wood

Maxwell Zhang

AP Scholar with Honor

Emmanuel Allen

Abigail Baker

Victoria Brown

Salvador Cervantes

Helena Chapar

Cristian Garfias

Nia Halley

Saidah Hoyte

Kyra Jarvis

Demilade Ladipo

Maleah Miller

Matilda Rodgers

Emily Royal

Emilia Samuels

Joel Samuels

Hannah Sanders

Shianne Shaw

Logan Sprinkle

AP Scholar

Sarah Abdulkhader

Sameeha Ali

Xander Atkinson

Ethan Barlay

Preston Brantley

Keelia Brasfield

Jai’Ana Burditte

Dylan Burkey

Zoe Cannon

Skye Chandler

Skylar Chandler

Bianca Christie

Chace Cleveland

Ethan Collisworth

Joshua Comeau

Alyssa Cornwall

Madisyn Dennis

Simon DePina

Jayden Edwards

Jorge Escalera

Gemma Gayle

Angel Gomez

Sydney Hammett

Jaycee Herth

Colin Hudson

Mariyah Humphries

DeAndre Johnney

Grace Kirkland

Bao Nguyen Le

Maya Lester

Jin Lin

Terron McRae

James Miller

Victor Montoya

Juan Moran

Ian Morgan

Simone Nelson

Dalena Nguyen

Ethan Niemczyk

Damaria Ponder

Jasmyne Porter

Ryan Rakestraw

Gavin Reece

Jessica Rhee

Lucas Rodgers

Emani Ruffin

Destiny Sarter

Khalil Sistrat

Shinnel Solomon

Caden Taylor

Alexander Thomas

Cadyn Wells

Christian White

Jeremy White

Laila Wood