Graduation is coming up and the top of the class is being recognized in a new way. Two years ago, students were only recognized if they were in the top 10 percent of the class but, now more students are being honored for their academic success. The administration decided to appreciate students through 3 distinctions. Summa Cum Laude is a group of students with a 4.3 GPA or higher, Magna Cum Laude is students with 4.0 to 4.299 GPA and Cum Laude is students with a GPA of 3.67 to a 3.99.

“We had a banquet called Top 25 and beginning last year we changed it to Royals Scholar Banquet,” Nancy Herndon said.  “We are able to honor more students because it’s more than 25.”

Getting rid of the top ten percent makes students feel like they do not have to compete with each other. They are competing with themselves and trying to do the best they can do.

“This incentive removes the malicious rivalries once held in the high school academic communities,” senior Nate Branson said. “It allows students to benefit with one another to beat the standard of a 4.3 GPA whilst flourishing their cooperation and overall scholarship.”

The Summa Cum Laude students will be given a medalion that they will wear at graduation. The Magna Cum Laude and the Cum Laude students will be given chords. Last year they were still in the transitioning process of getting rid of the top 10 percent. This year will be the first year that the top 10 percent is not single handily called at graduation.

“Our school has so many great and intelligent students,” senior Nadia Jurkovich said. “I think that this method is great in the sense that it truly recognizes all of those amazing individuals.”

Story by Christina Poetz.