Excitement in students’ eyes appear as they become eager to know who the Woo Hoo Crew is honoring. Cow bells and cheers begin to loudly ring through the room as they find out that multiple students have been honored for a prestigious award.

Seniors Daisy Hernandez, Daniel Cruz, Zoe Najar and Isabella Garcia received the National Hispanic Recognition Scholar Program, due to their high PSAT scores, they earned their junior year.

“I didn’t really expect it, but I was really happy when I received it,” Hernandez said.

To receive this award, recipients must have minimum PSAT score of 221 and a minimum GPA of 3.5

“It made me really proud that I could achieve something because I didn’t really think that I would get anything out of it,” Najar said. “It gets really discouraging to compare yourself to other people with one standardized test, but I was really excited that I got to receive recognition for it.”

It can be hard in the last year of high school, when it comes to college applications and being turned down, but receiving accolades definitely helps with the self-doubt. Although the achievement may seem easy, a lot of hard work is put into receiving an accolade like this.

“It’s definitely important to study for the PSAT but it’s not a one off award,” Hernandez said. “It’s not something that you can just cram for, you have to consistently be a good student.”

Being a good student also pays off when students get to see their proud parents, as the feeling of fulfillment resides when their student is acknowledged with a merit.

“Both of my parents were really happy, they were proud of me,” Garcia said. “They didn’t really expect it, I didn’t expect it.”

This accolade not only brings pride to families but also to the school.

“I was really excited when I got it,” Cruz said. “To know that many people got it just from this school is pretty cool.”

Although benefits may seem limited, long term achievements appear offering the next step for a senior student: being accepted into a university.

“I went on a university visit to the University of Dallas, and they accepted me, and then they offered me a scholarship,” Hernandez said. “I was really excited that that could actually benefit me.”

These types of honors can offer benefits, but it’s important to understand another benefit: what each accomplishment teaches a student

“It made me think and appreciate being more independent,” Cruz said. “But it’s not necessarily receiving the award itself but why there’s a specific award for Hispanic Scholars.”