Advanced Placement National Scholars:
Emily Duerson, Cort Hammond, and John Larsen
Mayor Bill Allison and Deputy Mayor Victoria Laise-Jonas issued a Proclamation at
the Monday, January 9, Maple Valley City Council meeting, designating that day as
“AP National Scholar Day in the City of Maple Valley.” The three Tahoma High School
2011 graduates were named Advanced Placement (AP) National Scholars, an accomplishment
achieved by less than 1% of all of the Advanced Placement test-takers in the world
and by only 333 students in the entire state of Washington. AP National Scholars
must complete eight or more Advanced Placement exams during their high school years,
must earn a 4 or higher average on a 5-point scale on all AP Exams taken, and must
earn grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. The three students honored
took a total of 29 exams and earned 14 5s and 12 4s and 3 3s on tests in Biology,
Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Computer Science A, English Language and Composition,
English Literature and Composition, European History, Government and Politics--U.S.,
Physics C, Psychology, Statistics, and United States History.
After a shared reading of the Proclamation by all City Council members, Mayor Allison
and Deputy-Mayor Laise-Jonas congratulated the students. Duerson and Larsen, both
students at University of Washington, attended the City Council meeting, while Hammond,
a student at Washington and Lee University, was represented by his mother, Lisa
Hammond. Each of these students entered college with a minimum of 40 – 50 potential
college quarter credits, depending on the university’s AP transfer policy. These
AP credits are in addition to any credits earned through the University of Washington
classes offered at Tahoma High.
Tahoma School District honored its first National Scholar in 2007. Duerson, Hammond,
and Larsen bring the total of AP National Scholars in Tahoma School District to
13.
Pictured: AP National Scholars Have Proclamation Issued in Their Honor. Pictured:
Deputy Mayor Victoria Laise-Jonas; AP National Scholar Emily Duerson; Mayor Bill
Allison; AP National Scholar John Larsen; AP Coordinator Brooke Dillon; and Lisa
Hammond, mother of AP National Scholar Cort Hammond
