Grace Christian Academy Celebrates Students Awarded with Academic Honors from College Board National Recognition Programs Awards recognize high-performing students and help them stand out to colleges

[Franklin, Tennessee] – Students at Grace Christian Academy earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. These programs celebrate students' hard work in high school and showcase their strong academic performance. The academic honors for rural area, Black, Indigenous, and/or Latino students are an opportunity for students to share their strong academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs that are seeking to recruit diverse talent.

At GCA, five students received academic honors:

Eva Gautsche: National Rural and Small Town Award (NHRA)
Jacob Dunn: National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA)
Parker Vanden Oever: National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA)
Sophia Clarke: National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA)

Thomas Camacho: National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA), National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA)

 

“We’re thrilled to celebrate our students and recognize them for the great work they’ve been doing. We’re proud of their strong academic performance in the classroom and on College Board assessments like the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and AP® exams,” said Dr. Daniel Spencer. “There’s so much that makes our students unique, and receiving this honor reinforces this as an asset for their future.”

 

The criteria for eligible students include:
 GPA of 3.5 or higher.
 PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 assessment scores that are within the top 10% of assessment takers in
each state for each award program or earned a score of 3 or higher on 2 or more AP Exams in 9th
and 10th grade.
 Attend school in a rural area or small town, or identify as African American/Black, Hispanic American/Latino, or Indigenous/Native.

 

Eligible students are invited to apply to BigFuture during their sophomore or junior year and are awarded at the start of the next school year in time to share their achievements in high school as they plan for the future. At the same time, colleges and organizations using College Board’s Student Search Service™ can connect directly with awardees during the recruitment process. “It’s becoming increasingly hard for students to be ‘seen’ during the college recruitment process. We’re exceptionally proud of the National Recognition Programs for celebrating students who are at times overlooked but have shown their outstanding academic abilities,” said Tarlin Ray, senior vice president of BigFuture® at College Board. “This is a benefit not only for students but also for colleges and universities committed to recruiting diverse and talented students.”

 

Scott Shipman has been named as Head Coach for the Grace Christian Academy Wrestling Program.  Scott joins his wife, Annie, as part of the athletics staff, focused on supporting the Mission of GCA Athletics. Scott is a local business owner and has been coaching wrestling at the Club Level in middle Tennessee for over ten years, where he has helped grow both developmental and competitive athletes.

 

Before moving to middle Tennessee, Scott spent ten years as a Collegiate Wrestling Coach, Administrator, and Educator at multiple universities. He was on staff at Gardner--Webb University from 2002-2009 as part of the Institution’s transition from NCAA DII to DI, and served as Head Coach from 2007-2009.  He has a BS Degree in Exercise Science and Biology from West Liberty University (WV), and an MS in Sport Science and Pedagogy from Gardner-Webb University (NC).  As an athlete, Scott was a four-time All-American, an undefeated NCAA DII Wrestling National Champion, and a US Open Freestyle place winner.

 

“I am excited to officially join my wife and children as a part of the GCA Family and further the development of the wrestling program on this campus.  The administration has made the sport a priority by securing a dedicated wrestling space on campus and hiring a coach with experience building programs” says Coach Shipman.  

 

GCA is proud to welcome Scott Shipman to the family and we are looking forward to a great wrestling season.