One of the highest academic achievements for a high school student is earning an AP Capstone Diploma. The results from the last school year are in, and seven EMS ISD students have been notified that they earned an AP Capstone Diploma in 2022-2023. Another eight students earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

While most students earn the AP Capstone Diploma during their senior year of high school, including six of the seven diploma recipients in 2023, some, like Zachary Hudson at Boswell High School, take the extra steps to earn their AP Capstone Diploma as a junior.

“The AP Capstone Diploma seemed to be the highest academic accolade offered by the college board, so I believe it will be beneficial for scholarship opportunities and made me stand out in my college applications,” Hudson said.

To receive the AP Capstone Diploma, students must earn scores of three or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and on four additional AP exams of their choice. To receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate, students must earn scores of three or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research. 

“We take immense pride in recognizing the achievements of our AP Capstone Diploma and AP Seminar & Research certificate recipients,” John Fahey, EMS ISD Director of College, Career & Military Readiness (CCMR) said. “Their unwavering commitment, diligence, and determination to challenge themselves and achieve remarkable milestones like these are truly commendable.”

Unlike traditional AP subject exams with a single end-of-year assessment, AP Seminar and AP Research assessments are project based and evaluate skills mastery through group projects, presentations, and individual essays completed throughout the year. Instead of focusing on one specific academic discipline, AP Seminar and AP Research are interdisciplinary: students are encouraged to create research projects based on topics of personal interest and are assessed on the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management and presentation skills needed to complete their projects. 

“Besides the prestige that comes with being able to say I have received my AP Capstone Diploma, this program improved my abilities in regard to research projects,” Hudson said. “I now know how to write a proper research paper, write in APA format, conduct a research project, and check the validity of sources.” 

Skills that Hudson will take with him to college. He plans to attend University of Texas at Austin next year, majoring in linguistics and minoring in French.

Congratulations to all of the students who earned an AP Capstone Diploma or AP Seminar and Research Certificate in the 2022-2023 school year.

Boswell High School

• Oren Bleeker (Graduated) – AP Capstone Diploma
• Zachary Hudson (12th grade) – AP Capstone Diploma
  
  
• Kaitlin Bachelder (Graduated) – AP Seminar and Research Certificate
• Rylan Brosh (Graduated) – AP Seminar and Research Certificate
• Amaya Christiansen (Graduated) – AP Seminar and Research Certificate
• Alana Lee (Graduated) – AP Seminar and Research Certificate
• Ryan Rosalin (Graduated) – AP Seminar and Research Certificate
• Mary Tucker (Graduated) – AP Seminar and Research Certificate

Chisholm Trail High School

• Adam Reyero (Graduated) – AP Capstone Diploma
  
  
• Brooke Rawson (Graduated) – AP Seminar and Research Certificate

Saginaw High School

• Cameron Briley (Graduated) – AP Capstone Diploma
• Aubrianna Cecil (Graduated) – AP Capstone Diploma
• Charles Schlichenmeyer (Graduated) – AP Capstone Diploma
• David Tran (Graduated) – AP Capstone Diploma
  
  
• Anicia Diaz (Graduated) – AP Seminar and Research Certificate