Polk County Public Schools
Reagan Lee, a Winter Haven resident and senior in the International Baccalaureate program at Bartow High, qualified to be an alternate in the finals of an academic competition for some of the state’s brightest math and science students.
A total of 97 students from Florida’s 67 counties took a regional examination in math and science in the Sunshine State Scholars program. Lee’s test score put him in the top 16 of the 97 students taking the regional test. He took the test in Orlando. The top ten will compete in March in another examination to compete for the title of Sunshine State Scholar. The next six top scorers, including Lee, were named as alternates for the finals in Tallahassee.
The Sunshine State Scholars program honors high school seniors for their excellence in mathematics and science. Individual high schools select their Sunshine State Scholars on factors that include overall grade point average, math and science grade point average and SAT or ACT scores. High school Sunshine State Scholars take a series of local and regional tests for the right to advance to the state finals.
Click here to view a list of Polk’s Sunshine State Scholars.
Lee’s alternate status as a Sunshine State Scholars finalist was his second significant honor for the 2008-2009 school year. His agriscience research project at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis was judged best in botany research. His agriscience research project explored the extent of potassium’s role in plant nutrition.
Shaira Rodriguez, a freshman at Lakeland High won a laptop computer in an essay contest held in conjunction with a school district event. The English for Speakers of Other Languages Department (ESOL) held a Spanish-language workshop for parents and students about improving family literacy, the college application process, scholarship opportunities and career development. More than 150 parents and students attended the event on a Saturday. ESOL and an event sponsor presented a laptop computer to Shaira for winning the essay contest done in conjunction with event. The essay topic was to write about an admired Hispanic leader.
