Students at St. Bernard Preparatory School have achieved remarkable academic honors through the College Board National Recognition Programs, highlighting their exceptional dedication to academics. These programs serve as a platform to acknowledge high school students' outstanding scholastic achievements and provide them with an opportunity to showcase their academic excellence. Particularly, these honors are designed to recognize the accomplishments of rural area, black, indigenous, and Latino students, allowing them to stand out in the eyes of colleges and scholarship programs seeking diverse talent. St. Bernard Prep students recognized were Charles Deist from Auburn, awarded the National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA); Sydney Watwood from Cullman, awarded the National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA); Viktoria DeCicco from Cullman, awarded the National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA); and Willa Smith from Cullman, awarded the National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA).

St. Bernard Headmaster Phuong Nguyen expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “We’re thrilled to celebrate our students and recognize them for the great work they’ve been doing. We’re proud of their strong academic performance in the classroom and on College Board assessments like the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and AP® exams. There’s so much that makes our students unique, and receiving this honor reinforces this as an asset for their future.” 

The criteria for eligibility for these honors include a GPA of 3.5 or higher, PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 assessment scores that place them within the top 10% of assessment takers in each state for each award program or earning a score of 3 or higher on 2 or more AP Exams in 9th and 10th grade.

Eligible students are invited to apply on BigFuture during their sophomore or junior year and are awarded at the start of the next school year, providing them with ample opportunity to showcase their high school achievements as they plan for the future. Simultaneously, colleges and organizations using College Board’s Student Search Service™ can directly connect with these outstanding awardees during the recruitment process.

Tarlin Ray, Senior Vice President of BigFuture® at College Board, commented, “It’s becoming increasingly hard for students to be ‘seen’ during the college recruitment process. We’re exceptionally proud of the National Recognition Programs for celebrating students who are at times overlooked but have shown their outstanding academic abilities. This is a benefit not only for students but also for colleges and universities committed to recruiting diverse and talented students.”