Eastside Catholic School is proud to announce that senior Samantha Foote, junior Lars Oosterhof and junior Alejandro Pulido were selected for the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP). Like the National Merit Scholarship program, the NHRP recognizes Hispanic/Latino students for their academic achievements and outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT and communicates their achievement to more than 1,500 colleges across the country. 

"It is our great honor and privilege to commend Samantha, Lars and Alejandro for earning this wonderful and well-deserved recognition," High School Principal Ryan Aiello said. "They exemplify our three Touchstones of Academic Excellence, Relationships and Servant Leadership, and we can’t wait to see what other remarkable feats they will accomplish in the years to come."

NHRP eligibility requires that students take the PSAT/NMSQT during their sophomore or junior year, identify as Hispanic American or Latino, achieve the required PSAT Selection Index score and earn a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.

College Board recognized 62,000 students through 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, which grant students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications. Colleges and scholarship programs identify students awarded National African American, Hispanic, Indigenous and/or Rural/Small Town Recognition through College Board’s Student Search Service.

Each student shared their future goals and advice for younger students.

• Samantha would like to pursue a degree in political science and a minor in Spanish at USC or a California university. "Always reach out for help when you need it. During, before and after school are all good times to meet with teachers for [one on one] help for any questions, concerns or just to talk. I’ve found this extra effort to get help from teachers has helped [me] get the full understanding of whatever we are learning and is beneficial for tests and projects. For high school experience in general, my advice would be to put yourself out there and try new things; you don’t have to worry about what your friends are doing all the time. Join the club you are interested in, get involved in EC sports or go to dances."

• Lars would like to study science, either biology or chemistry, at a university on the West Coast, preferably in Oregon or California. "Understand the balance between life and school, don’t overload with advanced classes for the ‘look’ of those classes; choose classes that interest you, not the ones that you think you should take."
   
• Alejandro is inclined to study engineering, especially mechanical, at a university that challenges him academically. "Study hard, serve others within the school community and be kind to teachers and peers; everyone at EC wants to see you learn and succeed!"