Arkansas Scholars from the Siloam Springs High School class of 2019 were recognized by the Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.
Chamber members grilled hamburgers and hot dogs to provide students with a special lunch and Wayne Mays, Chamber president and CEO, passed out awards.
Between 58 and 62 graduating seniors have earned the designation of Arkansas Scholars, according to Anne Martfeld, high school principal. The final number will be tallied after final exams are graded, she said. The students will receive a gold seal on their diploma when they graduate next Saturday.
Arkansas Scholars are students who committed in the eighth grade to have a 95 percent attendance rate, graduate from high school in four consecutive semesters, take core classes and earn at least a C average, Mays said.
The statewide program tries to get students to be aware at an early age of the importance of doing all the right things in school and staying the course, Mays said.
"What we want them to do is start in the eighth grade with awareness of their career options as they go through life," he said. "But one of the things they have to be aware of is you can't mess around in the eighth and ninth and 10th grade and then say, 'I'm a junior, I better get serious.' Their permanent record is already started and if they have had problems with attendance, they have not taken core courses, they've only taken easy stuff, they're not going to be as market-ready for the business."
Sometimes making straight As doesn't mean a student knows how to come to work everyday and be dependable, however Arkansas Scholars have shown they have the abilities to be ready for the job market, Mays said. The Chamber reminds local employers to consider whether or not candidates are Arkansas Scholars if they have two candidates with the same qualifications, he said.
"I consider it an economic development tool for our community, you know you want to keep your best and brightest in town if you can and we have a very nice, good, diverse, industrial base in Siloam Springs, our clients and businesses, we talk to them all the time and they are always looking for really good people and students who have hands-on experience," he said.
The Career Academy of Siloam Springs (CASS), which prepares students for careers in industrial maintenance, is another example of a program that prepares students for the local marketplace, Mays said.
Dakota Ferguson, who is both an Arkansas Scholar and a CASS student, said striving to become an Arkansas Scholar has helped him with college scholarships and will be an asset when he applies for jobs in the future. Ferguson said the Arkansas Scholar designation shows that he is dedicated and trying to better himself in whatever way possible.
Ferguson's experience in CASS helped him get a job at Nance Machine Shop and he is planning to attend Northwest Technical Institute in Fayetteville after high school to study diesel technology.
Senior Annabelle Van Asche, who plans to study history and biology at the University of Central Arkansas with the ultimate goal of becoming an optometrist, said the Arkansas Scholar Program has provided her with motivation and taught her how to work hard.
"I like to do well in my classes and try my hardest, so just a combination of that got me into it and kept me in it," she said.
She is hopeful the motivation and work ethic will carry on to her college career.
"I already know what it takes to put in the work into these classes so hopefully that will transfer to college as well," she said.
Participating in the Arkansas Scholars program shows commitment and follow-through for four solid years, Martfeld said. The recognition is also helpful when students are applying for scholarships or writing resumes, she said.
"I think anytime you're identifying groups of students who work hard towards a goal and complete it their senior year, you have success," Martfeld said. "I think anytime we can offer them something that has some credentials or criteria they have to meet will ready them for anything they set their mind to in the future."
General News on 05/12/2019