The 2026 National Recognition Program awarded more than 300,000 high-achieving students with a national academic distinction to help them stand out to colleges and scholarship programs.
[Aransas Pass, Texas] – Aransas Pass High School is proud to celebrate students who earned academic honors through the College Board National Recognition Program, available on bigfuture.org. This year, seven of our students were among the more than 300,000 recipients nationwide - the highest participation in the program’s history.
Miguel Ayala - School Recognition Award
Maria Cuenca Garcia - School Recognition Award
Jacob Delaney - School Recognition Award & First-Generation Recognition Award
Kyra De Los Santos - School Recognition Award
Kaydence Pippin - School Recognition Award
Aubrey Reyes - School Recognition Award & Rural & Small Town Recognition Award
Frankie Santiago Laureano - School Recognition Award
The College Board National Recognition Program, available on bigfuture.org, consists of the following official academic awards recognizing students in all communities: First-Generation Recognition Award, Rural and Small-Town Recognition Award, and School Recognition Award.
“Our students have been recognized for their dedication and excellence, and we’re incredibly proud of them. This honor reinforces their exceptional achievements in high school and will support them in their pursuit of a big future,” said Joshua Rombs, APHS Principal.
To be eligible, 10th- and 11th-grade students must earn a cumulative GPA of B+ or higher and either score 3 or above on two or more AP Exams by the end of 10th grade. They also qualify if they’re one of the top 10% of test takers─in their high school, among first-generation college students in their state, and/or among rural and small-town students in their state.
“Being recognized by College Board reminds me that you don’t have to come from a big school to have big dreams. I’m proud to be a Panther and proud to represent Aransas Pass High School,” said School Recognition Award recipient and Aransas Pass High School Senior Miguel Ayala.
Colleges and universities are eager to recruit National Recognition Program awardees who have demonstrated strong academic success across a wide range of schools and communities. Thousands of nonprofit colleges and scholarship organizations can connect with awardees who opt in to College Board Student Search Service™ to share more about their institutions and programs.
“For students across the country, the award represents more than an academic honor. It signals their achievement to colleges and scholarship programs that may not actively recruit in their communities,” said Amy Reitz, senior vice president of BigFuture at College Board. “We congratulate all students at Aransas Pass High School who earned an award by demonstrating exceptional academic achievement.”