TEMPLE, Texas — Two Temple Independent School District students have earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. These National Recognition Programs grant underrepresented students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country, helping them meaningfully connect to colleges and stand out during the admissions process. 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.
Allisandria Randle has been honored with both the National African American Recognition Award and the National Hispanic Recognition Award. Caleb Snider has been honored with the National Hispanic Recognition Award. Both students were recognized for their accomplishments at the TISD board of trustees meeting on Monday (September 12). Randle and Snider are both seniors at Temple High School. Randle was a three-year member of the Wildcat Band and is also active in Theatre Arts. Snider is a member of the THS Orchestra and is also active in construction studies. Both students say they were also pleasantly surprised when they found out about the honors they received.
“It hasn’t really sunk in for me yet, I had to ask Dr. Mayo if he was serious a couple of times,” Randle said. “It means a lot to me and I am really proud of myself for earning these two honors.”
“Honestly, I had never heard of this award before, but it is a tremendous honor for me,” Snider said. “Now that I’ve looked into it and know more about it, I realize that this is a pretty big deal, so I am excited.”
Randle hopes to move to Munich, Germany after she graduates from THS to major in psychology at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Snider is planning to attend Texas A&M University and major in either mechanical or aerospace engineering.
“I am extremely proud of Allisandria and Caleb,” said Dr. Jason Mayo, principal of Temple High School. “They are two outstanding students who will accomplish great things in life. I am happy to see them get recognized for their hard work and commitment to their education.”
Students who may be eligible 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 AP Exams; and are African American or Black, Hispanic American or Latinx, Indigenous, and/or attend school in a rural area or small town.
Eligible students will be invited to apply during their sophomore or junior year and will be awarded at the beginning of the next school year. Students will receive their awards in time to include them on their college and scholarship applications.
“We want to honor the hard work of these students through the College Board National Recognition Programs. This program creates a way for colleges and scholarship programs to connect directly with underrepresented students who they are hoping to reach,” said Tarlin Ray, College Board senior vice president of BigFuture. “We hope the award winners and their families celebrate this prestigious honor and it helps them plan for their big future.”