With the announcement of the latest AP Scholar Awards and other prestigious recognitions by the College Board, HRA is starting the 2026-2027 with much to celebrate
This past summer, the College Board announced that more than 30% of the entire Hampton Roads Academy Upper School student body had earned special recognition for excellence in the rigorous Advanced Placement (AP) program and in college-preparatory academics more broadly.
The honors include 48 individual AP Scholar Awards, along with several prestigious designations of exceptional achievement both on College Board assessments and in the classroom at HRA. Each of the awards is a testament to the recipient’s standout performance at a school that collectively excels in the AP program, as reflected in the Academy’s consistent Platinum distinction on the College Board’s AP School Honor Roll.
“At HRA, we take an inclusive approach to AP classes, and we are immensely proud to see so many of our students do exceptionally well on the exams, time and time again,” said Assistant Head of School and Director of Upper School Ben Rous. “The work our students do in the classroom—and the material our faculty members teach—goes far beyond these tests, of course. But our students’ record of strong performance on AP Exams shows that they consistently apply themselves, think critically, and meet the high standards we set for them.”
HRA congratulates all the hardworking, talented Navigators recognized this year!
AP Scholar Awards
These honors, awarded each year in recognition of three levels of achievement, reflect outstanding mastery of college-level subject matter and analytical and expressive abilities as demonstrated on multiple AP Exams.
AP Scholar
This status is granted to students who earn scores of 3 or higher on at least three AP Exams. The recipients are:
- Ashlyn Davis ’27
- Jake Doherty ’26
- Kathryn Easterling ’26
- Faith Gregory ’27
- Claire Grzybowski ’27
- Graham Hutchens ’27
- James Jones ’26
- Leonidas LaChance ’26
- Kai Sims ’27
- Aniyah Solomon ’27
- Sophia Vassilakos ’26
- Ryan Wartell ’27
AP Scholar with Honor
This award recognizes students who achieve an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken to date, with scores of 3 or above on four or more individual exams. The recipients are:
- Daphne Ambrosino ’27
- Percy Bevilacqua ’26
- Jamie Dornan ’26
- Merritt Jones ’27
- Joe Kerrick ’26
- Grace Lee ’26
- Mitchell Lugar ’27
- Connor Muse ’27
- Ellen Owen ’26
- Luke Sablan ’27
- Caroline Short ’27
AP Scholar with Distinction
The highest designation awarded in the AP Scholar program, this status is granted to students who achieve an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams, including scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. The recipients are:
- Nancy Arena ’26
- Gage Beach ’26
- Ian Beck ’26
- Nicholas Bielewicz ’26
- Zachary Busch ’26
- Carys Casper ’26
- Grant Dignan ’27
- Audrey Elmes ’26
- Dylan Evans ’26
- Colten Fulcher ’26
- Sophia Gately ’26
- Cam Hall ’26
- Indira Hartke ’27
- Owen Hospodar ’26
- Addie Loos ’27
- Heather Lowekamp ’26
- Ares Marvell-Nguyen ’26
- Sam Overman ’26
- Zack Patten ’26
- Lana Reed ’26
- Ellie Richardson ’27
- Henry Stern ’26
- Lexi Trudeau ’26
- Isaac Yeshtokin ’26
- Simon Yi ’26
College Board First-Generation Recognition Award
This special recognition honors exceptional students whose parents did not receive a bachelor’s degree, highlighting their academic accomplishments and potential for excellence in higher education. To qualify for the award, a prospective first-generation college student must have achieved a grade point average of B+ or higher. The recipient must also have scored either in the top 10% on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) or PSAT 10 within their school or among first-generation or rural/small-town test takers in their state or have earned a score of 3 or higher on at least two AP Exams by the end of tenth grade.
Congratulations to HRA’s 2026 First-Generation Recognition Award winner, Kendall Wedding ’27.
College Board School Recognition Award
The School Recognition Award celebrates students who have demonstrated academic excellence within their school community. Recipients must score among the top 10% in their school on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 and/or achieve a score of at least 3 on two or more individual AP Exams by tenth grade. Recognizing students of all backgrounds, the award helps colleges and universities connect with outstanding students across the country.
HRA applauds its ten School Recognition Award honorees:
- Jude Deibler ’28
- Grant Dignan ’27
- Lily Doan ’28
- Jack Duggan ’28
- Brendan Feng ’28
- Indira Hartke ’27
- Henry Kaplow ’28
- Connor Muse ’27
- Ellie Richardson ’27
- Will Stern ’28
Discover more of our Upper Schoolers’ achievements in academics, athletics, the arts, leadership, and more here.
