Belton ISD Seniors Earn Academic Honors From College Board
BELTON, TX – Belton ISD has three seniors named College Board National Recognition Program Scholars for top performances on the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) during their junior year.
The students were among the top 2.5 percent of test takers who identify as one or more of the following: African American, Hispanic American or Latinx, Indigenous or attend school in a rural area or are from a small town.
Belton High School senior Ryan Carpio-Brown and Belton New Tech High @ Waskow senior Kylan Menapace were named African American Scholars. New Tech senior Ethan Rodriguez was named a Hispanic American Scholar. To qualify for the recognition, the students’ had to achieve a minimum PSAT score and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
“It’s always great to see our Belton ISD students honored for their hard work and dedication to learning,” said Superintendent Matt Smith. “We applaud this achievement and all that this award represents.”
In its first year of honoring students, the College Board recognition program aims to create pathways to college for students from underrepresented communities by awarding them academic honors and connecting them with universities across the county.
Belton ISD’s African American Scholars include:
Ryan Carpio-Brown is the son of Benjamin Solis and Dr. Marisol Carpio-Solis. At BHS, he participates in the National Honor Society and Quiz Bowl and is a co-leader on the Robotics Team. As a junior, Carpio-Brown led a history fair group that placed at the regional competition. Carpio-Brown plays the piano in his free time. He plans to attend the University of Texas and major in engineering.
Kylan Menapace is the son of Kurt and Kelly Menapace. At New Tech, Menapace is a member of the Leadership Council, National Honor Society and Key Club and serves as the head programmer for the Robotics Team. He volunteers as a porter of parking for his church’s worship services and food drives. Menapace plans on majoring in civil engineering at either the University of Texas, Texas A&M University, Rice University or the University of Michigan.
Belton ISD’s Hispanic American Scholar is:
Ethan Rodriguez is the son of John and Leslie Christopher. He is a board member for the Youth Advisory Commission with the City of Belton and is active with the National Honor Society at New Tech. Rodriguez also swims for the varsity team and a club team. He plans on majoring in aerospace engineering at either the University of Texas or the United States Naval Academy.