17 SIS students earn AP Scholar awards

Seventeen Saipan International School students have been awarded the prestigious Advanced Placement Scholar Award after mastering the required skills, concepts, and content material.

The College Board’s AP program provides students the opportunity to earn college credit through rigorous college-level work in high school and recognizes four levels of achievement based on student performance and AP exams.

The highest level of academic distinction is AP Scholar with Distinction, followed by AP Scholar with Honor, and AP Scholar.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program offers academically prepared students the chance to take rigorous, university-level courses during their high school years.

Steven Goodwin, Sally Lai, Junhee Lee, Henry Qian, Jon Paul Sablan and Anika Snyder joined Junbum Huh and Tania Tan as AP Scholars, having earned a score of 3 or higher on at least three AP exams.

Three students—Anna Calvert, Michael Lee, and Sangyoon Lee—earned the added distinction of AP Scholar with Honors by averaging at least 3.25 on all AP exams and a 3 or higher on four or more exams.

Andrew Hudkins, Malika Miayawaki, Eunseo No, Alex Park, Hyeonjoon Park, and Prunella Pellegrino were all awarded with the top honor, AP Scholar with Distinction, scoring an average of 3.5 or higher on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more exams.

Sangyoon Lee, Jon Paul Sablan and Anika Snyder were further honored with the award of National AP Scholar.

Last May, 31 SIS students took a total of 68 AP exams. Of the 68 exams taken, 81 percent received a score of 3 or better. This marks a new high for SIS and surpasses both the CNMI average of 20 percent passing and the national average of 61 percent, illustrating the perseverance of SIS students and teachers, particularly in the wake of Yutu.

According to the AP Ledger, SIS now offers 12 AP courses, the highest number of course offerings in the CNMI.

This year, SIS added AP Biology, AP Calculus BC, AP Physics and AP Research to its existing course offerings of AP Calculus AB. AP English Language and Composition, AP Literature and Composition, AP Human Geography, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP Seminar and AP Statics.

SIS will also graduate its first AP Capstone Diploma students this year as 100% of the AP Seminar students passed the first half of the AP Capstone diploma requirements.

SIS is the only school in Micronesia that is authorized to offer the prestigious AP Capstone Diploma. (PR)