Several current Marion High School students and members of the MHS Class of 2026 have been recognized by the College Board for their cumulative excellent performance on multiple Advanced Placement tests in the 2025-26 school year or earlier in their high school career.
Every year, the College Board, which administers AP exams, awards students who have excelled on multiple exams. AP exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5. A score of 3 designates the student as “qualified” and capable of doing the work of an introductory-level course in a particular subject at college, according to the AP Program’s website. Many colleges and universities grant credit and placement for scores of 3, 4 or 5, but the AP Program’s website notes that each college decides which scores it will accept.
Here’s a complete look at the most recent AP honors, reflecting scores on tests taken in spring 2025 or earlier in a student's high school career:
AP Scholars with Distinction
(earning scores of 3 or higher on five or more exams, with an average score of at least 3.5 on all exams taken)
- Grace Carpenter, Class of 2026
- Aliya Cruz, senior
- Dakhota Daley, Class of 2026
- Richard Detamore, Class of 2026 (also AP Capstone Diploma recipient)
- Tate Duncan, senior (also AP Capstone Diploma recipient)
- Gabe Fisher, senior
- Micah Hawkins, senior
- Elijah Inskeep, Class of 2026
- Jethe Paduga, senior
- Derrick Simmons-Lollis, Class of 2026 (also AP Capstone Diploma recipient)
- Aly Yanis-Earnest, senior (also AP Capstone Diploma recipient)
AP Scholars with Honor
(earning scores of 3 or higher on four or more exams, with an average score of at least 3.25 on all exams taken)
- Gary Freiburger, Class of 2026
- Mary Herrington, senior (also AP Capstone Diploma recipient)
- Chayim Hofmann, Class of 2026
- Nolan Lomely, senior
- Axel Ortiz Juarez, senior
- Aubry Roedl, Class of 2026
- Allyson Williams, Class of 2026
AP Scholars
(earning scores of 3 or higher on three or more exams)
- Gigi Bunker, Class of 2026
- Eliana Campanero, junior
- Shaeli Castaneda, Class of 2026
- Lennon Cordell, Class of 2026
- Roman Dailey, senior
- Clara Davies, senior
- Gracie Dixon, junior
- Jeremias Gallegos Ayala, Class of 2026
- Nyla Hubartt, Class of 2026
- Gavin Johnson, senior
- Elias Khalouf, junior
- Maizey Kuch, senior
- Nam Nguyen, junior
- Alexa Ortiz-Juarez, senior
- RJ Slinkard, junior
In addition, students can earn other AP awards as part of AP Capstone, a diploma program based on two year-long AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. These courses are designed to complement other AP courses that the AP Capstone student may take. Instead of teaching specific subject knowledge, AP Seminar and AP Research use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management, and presentation skills students need for college-level work. Several MHS students earned recognition in this category as well:
AP Capstone Diploma
(earning scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams)
- Grace Carpenter, Class of 2026 (also AP Scholar with Distinction)
- Richard Detamore, Class of 2026 (also AP Scholar with Distinction)
- Tate Duncan, senior (also AP Scholar with Distinction)
- Derrick Simmons-Lollis, Class of 2026 (also AP Scholar with Distinction)
- Aly Yanis-Earnest, senior (also AP Scholar with Distinction)
AP Seminar and Research Certificate
(earning scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research)
- Mary Herrington, senior (also AP Scholar with Honor)
- Gavin Johnson, senior (also AP Scholar)
- Maizey Kuch, senior (also AP Scholar)
Since 1955, the rigorous Advanced Placement Program has enabled millions of students to take college-level courses and exams and to earn college credit or placement while still in high school.
According to a study cited on the AP Program’s website, AP students have better four-year college graduation rates than those who did not take AP. Taking AP also increases eligibility for scholarships and makes candidates more attractive to colleges.
AP Scholar honors put the spotlight on students who excel in multiple subjects, and students may cite this academic distinction among their credentials on applications, resumes, and portfolios. (Learn more about the honors here.)
MHS AP students surpass state and global success rates:
In six subjects, MHS students surpassed the state and/or global percentage of students passing the exams in the 2025-26 school year. And in four subjects, 100 percent of test-takers at MHS passed!
Overall, 87 students passed at least one exam, while 30 of those passed multiple exams — both an increase over the previous year.
>> Click here to learn more about AP success at Marion High School
Marion Community Schools is proud of these students’ excellent achievements, and is proud of the early college opportunities MHS continues to offer to its students. For information about how your high school student can take advantage of these early college credit opportunities and more, check out the enrollment section of our website.