Homer High students earn top scores </MCC HEAD>

Story last updated at 8:35 PM on Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Homer High students earn top scores

By McKibben Jackinsky

On the heels of learning last month he'd received high scores on the ACT test, Homer High School senior Mark Walsworth has been notified he received a perfect math score of 800 on the SAT.

Photo provided

Recognized for their acedemic success are, Ithica Sorensen, Mark Walsworth, Kaitlin Cashman and Jason Baird

Walsworth isn't the only high-scoring Homer senior. Jason Baird received notification he scored a perfect 800 on the math portion of the SAT he took in May, as well as 800 on the reading and writing portion and another 800 on the critical reading test, according to HHS counselor Lyn Hampson.

And they aren't the only seniors with bragging rights.

"Ithaca Sorensen and Kaitlin Cashman got perfect 800 scores in writing," Hampson said of tests the two students took in June.

To have that many high scorers is cause to celebrate, Hampson said, using Walsworth's ACT score to illustrate.

"Internationally, 221,158 students took the test," she said. "He was one of 91 who got that score."

Walsworth and Cashman's scholastic abilities received recognition earlier this fall. Walsworth was named one of 16,000 semi-finalists in the 55th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Results in the PSAT/MSQT Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test Cashman took last year made her one of 5,000 top scoring high school juniors who designated themselves as Hispanic/Latino.

In addition to being "really smart, talented and all that," Hampson said Walsworth, Baird, Sorensen and Cashman are part of an "extremely cooperative group of kids."

"I think they really assist each other and inspire each other and challenge each other," Hampson said. "They have really good parents and they're all self-starters, but I really think that group dynamic has done as much as anything."

As a whole, Hampson said this year's senior class 83 students is "wonderful."

"Somebody asked, 'Who do you love?' And I couldn't pull any names out. They're all wonderful. I really like these kids," she said.

McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky.@homernews.com.