Ascension Academy 2022 class signs for colleges, receives $1.7 million in scholarships

Editor's note: A photo cutline has been corrected with this story to reflect the correct spelling of one of the graduating seniors' names. The Globe-News regrets the error. In addition, the graduation rate with college placement has been clarified in the story below.

Ascension Academy held its Academic Senior Signing Day on Monday, where the entire senior class signed letters of intent to attend the colleges of their choice.

All 14 seniors from the academy's 2022 graduating class began the next step in their educational journeys at the signing inside the school's gymnasium. At the event, each senior sat at a table decorated to match the school they will be attending in the fall, and they confirmed their intent to attend the college in front of their teachers, friends and family members.

"It's a great feeling to have our 14 seniors this year signing, but it's made even more special by 100% of the class going to, or accepted into college," said Tim Oditt, Head of School at Ascension Academy.

From the graduating class, the students received acceptance to more than 45 colleges across the country and a total of $1,761,400 in university offered, merit-based scholarships.

In addition to the signing, six of the seniors will graduate with not only an Ascension Academy high school diploma, but also an associate's degree from Amarillo College as part of the Diplomas & Degrees Program.

Academy senior Brooklyn Bull signed to attend the University of Alabama in the fall to study biology in preparation for a master's degree in psychology.

"Alabama was my first choice. It was between two schools for a while, but I went to visit the campus and discovered more about what they can offer me for my future, then decided that that was where I wanted to be and was the best choice to help me further my education," Bull said.

Bull will enter the university with honors and an associate's degree from Amarillo College, which she received while attending Ascension. She was also awarded an annual $36,000 Presidential Merit scholarship from the university, among several other scholarships that will go toward her tuition and fees.

"Ascension has done wonders for me," Bull said. "The environment here at Ascension, everyone is driven towards success, and that has really helped me pursue my desire to further my education."

Two seniors, Emma Engler and Aditya Srikanth, will graduate as candidates to receive the AP Capstone Diploma, a program based on the completion of two year-long AP courses. The courses include an AP Seminar and AP Research that culminates in an academic paper of 4,000-5,000 words, accompanied by a performance, exhibit, or product, and a presentation with an oral defense.

"I am super excited to get outside of Amarillo, see the country and study biology and psychology. I'm hoping to eventually go to medical school after graduating. ... This is the first step towards that and my future," said Engler, who signed to attend Whitman College.

For all of its 22 years in existence, Ascension Academy has had a 100% graduation rate, with 95% of those years having 100% of the graduating class with college placement. This year's signing marks another year of that successful milestone, with last year's class of 29 students receiving just over $1.8 million in scholarships.

"These students had a really choppy year last year and the year before due to COVID, and to see them overcome that and comeback and finish strong last year and through this year really says a lot about them to maximize their high school experience," Oditt said.

The names of the 2022 Ascension Academy graduating class, the schools they will be attending, and individual accolades they will be receiving are:

Nathan Adams — Texas Tech University (Honors), National Honor Society, TAPPS Basketball All-District 2nd Team and Academic All State

Brooklyn Bull — University of Alabama (Honors), National Honor Society, Diplomas & Degrees

Preston Campbell — West Texas A&M University

Rowan Cavazos — University of North Texas, International Thespian Society

Sadie Chitwood — University of North Texas (Honors), National Honor Society, Diplomas & Degrees

Evan Curtis — University of North Texas, National Honor Society, International Thespian Society, Diplomas & Degrees

Cole Drummond — West Texas A&M University, National Honor Society, Diplomas & Degrees

Emma Engler — Whitman College, National Merit Commended Scholar, DAR Award, National Honor Society, Capstone Diploma Candidate

Seth Henderson — University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Zane Johnson — West Texas A&M University

Trey Reddix — West Texas A&M University, TAPPS Basketball All District 2A 1st Team

Aditya Srikanth — University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, National Honor Society, Capstone Diploma Candidate, Diplomas & Degrees

Lauren Stovall — West Texas A&M University in Fall 2022, Deferred admission to Boston University in 2023, National Honor Society

Christopher Teichmann — Austin College, National Honor Society, Diplomas & Degrees

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: 14 Ascension Academy seniors receive over $1.7 million at signing