photo by: Contributed

Clockwise from top left: Michael Bido, Arran Kennedy Orive, Ayotunde Obadare and Silvio Liu.

Four Lawrence high school students have received awards for their academic achievement from a national recognition program.

The College Board National Recognition Programs honor the academic achievement of students from underrepresented backgrounds and help them stand out during the college admission process, according to a College Board news release. To be eligible, students must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have excelled on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10, or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more advanced placement exams.

“This program creates a way for colleges and scholarship programs to connect directly with underrepresented students who they are hoping to reach,” Tarlin Ray, College Board senior vice president of BigFuture, said in the news release. “We hope the award winners and their families celebrate this prestigious honor and it helps them plan for their big future.”

The College Board recognizes outstanding students through its National African American, Hispanic, Indigenous and/or Rural/Small Town Recognition programs. The Lawrence high school students recognized by the program include:

•Michael Bido, Free State High senior, National African American Recognition Award and National Hispanic Recognition Award

•Silvio Liu, Free State High senior, National Hispanic Recognition Award

•Arran Kennedy Orive, Lawrence High senior, National Hispanic Recognition Award

•Ayotunde Obadare, Lawrence High senior, National African American Recognition Award

The College Board invites eligible students to apply during their sophomore or junior year and announces honors at the beginning of the next school year. Students receive their awards in time to include them on their college and scholarship applications.

In August 2022, the College Board is awarding 62,000 students from across the country with academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs for excelling in their classrooms and on College Board assessments. More than 180,000 students from all 50 states were eligible to apply for the College Board National Recognition Programs.

The Lawrence school district will recognize the four students at the Sept. 26 Lawrence school board meeting.