Hanover Central High School takes immense pride in celebrating the remarkable achievements of its students who have received national recognition from the College Board. These exceptional scholars have earned this well-deserved academic honor through their dedication and scholastic excellence, boasting a remarkable GPA of 3.5 or higher, and delivering outstanding performances on the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT-10, and/or AP Exams. Among the accomplished individuals who have received the National African American Recognition Award (NAARA) and the National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA) are Alanna Epting, Ashton Orr, Ava Perez, Danniella Villarreal, Elizabeth Flores, Jerome Murphy III, Landon Sarkey, Macenzie Babbington, Neva Zamudio, and Penelope Hatfield. These students represent the epitome of academic excellence, and their accomplishments serve as an inspiration to all within the Hanover community.

 

Alanna Epting, a junior at Hanover Central High School, has received the National African American Recognition Award from the College Board. Alana said, “Receiving this recognition means a lot to me because it shows that all my hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed and motivates me to keep going.” She is happy to represent her ethnicity and race in a positive and inspirational way. She also said, “It feels good to know that my parents' sacrifices for me and my siblings are paying off and that they can be proud of my accomplishments now and in the future” Alana has also made some sacrifices to get this academic achievement with sleepless nights and hours of studying. Her support system is truly amazing between her parents’ support, her teachers pushing her to be her best, and her siblings’ encouragement.

Alana is involved with the Thespian Society, Theater, and Student Council. She was invited to apply to join the National Honor Society and she is anxiously awaiting the results of her application. She moved into the Hanover district from Illinois in January of 2020 during her second semester of 7th grade, right when COVID-19 hit. She plans to attend college after high school and obtain a degree in aerospace engineering to pursue a career in this field.

Alana’s parents inspire her because “whenever I’m ready to give up -whether it be on a subject or an assignment - they encourage me to give myself time to identify and understand what I am struggling with,” said Alana. Congratulations to this young scholar and we wish her the best in her last two years at Hanover and all other future endeavors. 

 

Ashton Orr, a junior at Hanover Central High School, has received the National Hispanic Recognition Award from the College Board. Ashton stated, “I'm ecstatic about this reward because I believe it is a sign that my hard work is paying off and I'm going in the right direction.” He said that he holds his academic achievements near and dear, but sees them as milestones. He expressed, “My main goal in life is some time away.” 

While Ashton is not involved in any extracurriculars, he has dabbled in Spell Bowl and Math Bowl during his time at HCHS. He moved to the Hanover community in 5th grade in 2016. After high school, Ashton plans to either join the military or go to college, he is undecided at this point in his life. His father went right into work after high school, while his mother got her bachelor's degree in linguistics. Ashton’s inspiration has always revolved around his goals for the future, to ensure what he does now makes things easier further down the road. He is graduating early as a junior, so he shared, “...getting this award reminds me of the hard work and dedication I have put in thus far.” We congratulate Ashton for this recognition and wish him the best in his early graduation.

 

Ava Perez, a junior at Hanover Central High School, has received the National Hispanic Recognition Award from the College Board. Ava said, “This award means a lot because I've worked very hard to keep my GPA up.” She has always studied and worked hard to get where she is today. When she isn’t in school or studying, she is working at her job, and she is not involved in any extracurricular activities. Ava has been a student at Hanover for her whole life, since kindergarten. She is planning to attend Indiana University after high school and go into the medical field. Her inspiration is those who have a goal in life and can work hard to achieve those goals. 

 

Danniella Villarreal, a junior at Hanover Central High School, has received the National Hispanic Recognition Award from the College Board. Danniella expressed, “It definitely means a lot to me, as I am not recognized by many people as a part of Hispanic culture.” She believes that she got to where she is today because she developed a variety of good study habits throughout elementary and middle school. This has made a huge impact on how she completes work while still being able to attend different clubs and activities. Danniella is involved in marching band, environmental club, and trap & skeet (where she is one of 3 captains).

Daniella has been in Hanover Schools since kindergarten. After high school, she plans to attend Purdue University Lafayette. She is going to major in aviation and become a part of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC). We extend our greatest congratulations to Danniella and wish her the best as she pursues college and AFROTC.

 

Elizabeth Flores, a senior at Hanover Central High School, has received the National Hispanic Recognition Award from the College Board. Elizabeth stated, “It’s nice in a way to get recognized for something I’ve worked my whole life for. Spending hours upon hours studying for AP exams and having it pay off and actually having people acknowledge the work that I put into my academics gives me comfort.” She gave up hours of sleep and work to put her studies first. She also had to learn discipline when it came to balancing everything in her life. 

Elizabeth has been a Hanover student since October of 2014, as a 4th-grader. She is involved with track & field, the National Honor Society, and the environmental club. After high school, she plans to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne to major in psychology. After that, she hopes to go to medical school and specialize in psychiatry, to become a psychiatrist. 

When asked about her parents, Elizabeth said, “My mom, born and raised in Mexico, came to the US a couple of years before I was born and married my dad, who was born in the US, but grew up in Mexico. While they both went to college, they never finished, which is honestly the biggest motivator for me. I like to believe I’m doing this partially for them.” She also says that she is motivated by seeing other people succeed. That motivates her to work hard and never wants to have to worry about money. She wants to help her parents retire and live the rest of their lives in peace. We hope that Elizabeth reaches her goals in life for herself and her family, and we congratulate her on this recognition. 

 

Jerome Murphy III, a junior at Hanover Central High School, has received the National African American Recognition Award from the College Board. He said, “I worked very hard to maintain my grades and stand out from my peers. It has taken a lot of discipline to balance AP classes, honors classes, and extracurricular activities while doing my part in the community. This award just informs me that I have been acknowledged by a national organization.” Jerome had to work very hard to get where he is today. When he wasn’t studying, he was helping his peers whenever he could. He gives 100% towards his successes in life and aspires to be the best he can be while also motivating others. 

Outside of academics, Jerome is involved in track, cross country, student council, key club, environmental club, and is the secretary of the class of 2025. He has been a Hanover student since 5th grade when he attended Lincoln Elementary. After high school, Jerome plans to get a 4-year college degree and then move on to medical school to pursue his dreams of being a thoracic surgeon. His inspiration for success comes from “my burning desire to just be better. It brings me satisfaction to attempt something twice, and improve the second time,” expressed Jerome. We extend our congratulations to him and wish him the best in life after high school.

 

Landon Sarkey, a junior at Hanover Central High School, has received the National Hispanic Recognition Award from the College Board. When asked how he felt about this recognition, he said, “Being able to receive this award means a lot. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment and it’s fulfilling.” His parents always made sure that Landon kept up with his grades, and later disciplined himself to make sure that his grades were up to standard. Landon is inspired by his brother and sister because they are very successful, and he wants to be just as successful as them.

When Landon isn’t focusing on his studies, he is playing baseball or basketball. He also is a referee for the Junior Wildcat games. He has been in Hanover schools since kindergarten at Lincoln Elementary. After high school, Landon has a few ideas of what he wants to do. He either wants to play baseball in college, go into a trade, or go work in insurance. We send our congratulations on this amazing recognition to Landon and we wish him good luck in the future.

 

Macenzie Babbington, a senior at Hanover Central High School, has received the National African American Recognition Award from the College Board. She expressed, “Receiving this recognition means a lot to me! I am very appreciative and hope that good things further come from this!” She was thrilled to see that her work did not go unnoticed. She is inspired by the fear of failing and never accomplishing anything, so she strives to avoid failures and accomplish as much as she can. 

Mackenzie is involved in theater and tennis. She was also involved in key club during her sophomore year. She moved to Hanover from Chicago during her 6th grade year and has been a Wildcat ever since. She is not certain what she wants to do after high school, but she knows that she wants to attend college. Congratulations to Macenzie on such an amazing accomplishment and we hope she finds a great path after high school.

 

Neva Zamudio, a junior at Hanover Central High School, has received the National Hispanic Recognition Award from the College Board. She said, “This recognition makes me very proud of the hard work that I've done to get here.” She said that she studied for the PSAT and SAT, but the thing that helped her the most was her support system. Her parents and teachers helped her with content and encouragement. Neva is inspired by those who graduated before her. She said, “The class of 2023 was always very nice to me, and it's inspiring to see what they've done.” 

She is involved in a lot of things at Hanover including community work, the National Honor Society, key club, theater (she works on the crew), tennis, book club, and environmental club. She has been at Hanover since kindergarten at Lincoln Elementary. After high school, she wants to go to college to eventually become a child psychologist. We are thrilled that Neva received this recognition and we wish her the best in her future endeavors. 

 

Penelope Hatfield, a junior at Hanover Central High School, has received the National Hispanic Recognition Award from the College Board. She said that it was nice to get recognition and care from the Hanover administration about this accomplishment. She got to where she is today with dedication and the willingness to put in the necessary work. She is inspired by some of her favorite content and friends. 

Penelope is involved in the art club, book club, garden club, and Spanish club at Hanover Central High School. She has no concrete plans for after high school but has some ideas that she is excited to look into. She came to Hanover as a freshman. We are so happy for Penelope and her accomplishments, and, whatever it may be, we know that she will succeed in life after high school. 

 

We take immense pride in celebrating the exceptional accomplishments of our Hanover students. These young individuals have demonstrated remarkable dedication, intelligence, and commitment to their education. As they embark on their future journeys, we wish them the very best, confident that they will continue to shine brightly and make a positive impact in their communities and beyond. Their achievements stand as an inspiration to all, reminding us of the limitless potential within each of us when we strive for excellence. Congratulations to these outstanding individuals for their well-deserved recognition.