Each year, the Boettcher Foundation grants 40 scholarships to eligible, graduating Coloradan seniors, which each provide full-ride tuition to any Colorado state college. This year, Air Academy’s class of 2015 contains five Boettcher semi-finalists, a school record for any one given class. Many of you reading this are probably unaware of the accomplishments of these students, besides a short (originally typo’d) blurb posted on the school website 2 months following the release of qualifiers, although it’s not as though this is the first time they have been successful.

All five of these semi-finalists scored 33 and above on the ACT. Two are National Merit Scholars, having scored above the Coloradan cut-off score of 213 on the PSAT. One has performed in the all-state orchestra three times. Another travels internationally to dance, with winning teams, in world-wide competitions. The final competed in the CSEF (Colorado Science and Engineering Fair) with a project titled “The Impact of Deuterium Oxide on the Cell Cycle of RBL Cells via Tubulin-mediated Antimitotic Action.”

Now, I find it unfortunate that there exists a lack of reception for these types of students in regards to their endeavors. I don’t refer solely to the five semi-finalists, but any student with similar, great accomplishments. I’m speaking to any of you who have won awards, state or national competitions, scored highly on tests, what have you – there is unrecognized greatness and potential in our student body.

Further, it seems even more unfortunate that instead of placing focus on our successes, we only seem to draw attention to the negative. AAHS was a buzz in the news the past three years for two regrettable student-teacher interactions and one account of a hospitalized student as result of consuming a “pot brownie.” Yet, I know a student who spoke on Fox 21 in regards to his dealings with Teen Court that was never spoken about in the halls, in announcements, or even in our paper.

I speak to this issue now because of a situation that has made itself known amongst the senior class and a good number of the faculty. One of the students I speak of above, with a 35 on the ACT and Boettcher semi-finalist status under her belt, was a hot topic going into break for two drastically different reasons: A) her acceptance to Princeton University, which has surpassed Harvard as the #1 American university in recent years, and B) her alleged “drug use,” when the drug dog tagged her car in the parking lot.

In a struggle to remove the black mark from her record, considering the investigations came up empty-handed, she fought with administration, facing unprecedented judgment on a false claim. Her car, which was purchased used 18 months prior, smelled slightly of marijuana for a few weeks from its previous owner, yet a year and a half of usage later, it seems to have suddenly arisen as a problem. She herself was innocent, and after a multitude of meetings, finally got the report eliminated.

“The first time administration bothered to learn my name was when I was suspected for drugs,” she states simply. “I think in general having a culture where kids are only recognized if they are potentially committing crimes and not if they achieve something really great is a big problem.” And she’s not wrong to have a bitter taste in her mouth, as successful as she’s been. The lack of consideration and acknowledgement she originally received from administration is concerning.

We are quick to attack the failures or mistakes of others, yet afraid to be proud of their achievements, and I’m ashamed to admit that our obsession with what goes wrong overshadows the recognition of merit so many deserve.

Kenzie Weller, Senior Managing Editor

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