Special to the News-Herald

Fifty-four Nansemond-Suffolk Academy students have earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board, recognizing their achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement exams.

The AP program offers students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school, and to receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for performance on the AP exams.

Only about 18 percent of more than 1 million high school students in more than 15,000 secondary schools worldwide who took exams performed at a sufficiently high level to be named AP scholars. The tests were administered in May 2005.

Twelve students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award, earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and grades of 3.0 or higher on five or more of these exams. These students are Kendall Chorey, Sudipta Devanath, Bryan Kitz, Elizabeth McGehee, Matthew Norman, Aksh Patel, Charles, Persons, Zachary Phillips, Ellis Pretlow, Siddharth Shah, Melissa Taylor and Lauren Willis.

Seventeen students qualified for the AP Scholar Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and grades of 3.0 or higher on at least four exams. Students with this distinction include Chris Beacham, Tiffany Buckley, Frank George, Eleanor Kirk, Melissa Lowder, Ryan Mears, Jared Meyers, Kyle Minga, Callie Peak, Ashlee Robb, Nadine Saint, Marissa Spruiell, Alison Szalwinski, Sean Tennant, Heather Walton, Courtney White and Amallie Zahralddin.

Twenty-five students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by competing three or more AP Examinations, with grades of 3.0 or higher.

The AP Scholars are Kathryn Bagley, Andy Bunch, Mychal Cohen, Natalie Cutchin, Nicole Drumwright, Melody Esmaili, Meredith Gersbach, Parris Grieder, Lindsay Hawks, David Hughey, Jeffrey Iiams, Zachary Irby, Jeffrey Kiser, Jessica Little, Erin Matson, Marissa McKenney, Jonathan Parham, Griffin Powell, Jessica Rabil, John Saunders, Carrie Shepheard, Tyler Smith, Hannah Trostle, Danielle Waller and Rachel Zetts.

Most of the nation’s colleges and universities award credit, advanced placement, or both based on successful performance on the AP exams.

More than 1,400 institutions award a full year’s credit (sophomore standing) to students presenting a sufficient number of qualifying grades.