Preeyal Gupta of Pensacola High and Roman Vena of Pace High have been named among the Florida Panhandle’s highest achieving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students. They will join their peers from around the state Thursday and Friday in Orlando to be honored during the 2012 Sunshine State Scholars program. The two-day awards and recruitment event celebrates the accomplishments of these elite students and provides a unique opportunity for Florida’s colleges and universities to recruit their talents.
The Scholars event started as a simple science and math competition in 1997 and has evolved into a program designed to recognize Florida’s top high school STEM students and recruit them to pursue their post secondary education in Florida – increasing the likelihood that they will join Florida’s future workforce. Each school district selects and names one 11th grade scholar based on established criteria.
A list of the Sunshine State Scholars from Florida’s Panhandle is below.
PANHANDLE of FLORIDA
Bay
Samantha Nicole Brooks
J.R. Arnold High School
Calhoun
Mitchell Darnell
Blountstown High School
Escambia
Preeyal Gupta
Pensacola High School
Florida State University
Brian Maher
Florida State University School
Franklin
Morgan Walker
Franklin County High School
Gadsden
Tiara Stroman
East Gadsden High School
Gulf
MaKayla Elissa Ramsey
Port St. Joe Jr./Sr. High School
Holmes
Zachary Cooley
Holmes County High School
Jackson
Blake Benton
Marianna High School
Jefferson
Tykeria Jones
Jefferson County Middle/High School
Leon
Diego Hernandez
Rickards High School
Liberty
Jimmy Brown
Liberty County High School
Madison
Keeley Smith
Madison County High School
Okaloosa
Kyle Saleeby
Niceville High School
Santa Rosa
Roman Vena
Pace High School
Taylor
James Clover
Taylor County High School
Wakulla
Jonathan Chunn
Wakulla High School
Walton
Elizabeth Evans
Walton High School
Washington
Alana Hearn
Vernon High School
For more information about the Sunshine State Scholars program, visit www.floridaeducationfoundation.org.