Both Kylie Kenny and Christian Kelly put together quite the resume in terms of individual accomplishments during their time at Aspen High School. But as both prepare to graduate, it will be just about everything else they take with them from their exemplary athletic careers.
Alex Appleby, right, hugs Principal Sarah Strassburger after being presented with the Principal s Award during the Aspen High School senior awards and local scholarship ceremony on Monday, May 24, 2021, on the AHS turf field. Photo by Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times.
It may well be the marquee event of awards season at Aspen High School: Monday night’s senior awards and local scholarship ceremony recognized the accomplishments of the class of 2021 with dozens of honors and funds for college.
All told, 81 seniors walked away with more than $350,000 in college scholarships from nearly 40 local donor groups, according to Susanne Morrison, the administrative coordinator at Aspen High School’s post-secondary counseling department. Students also scored hundreds of thousands of dollars from regional and national awards, some of which include full ride scholarships for all four years of college (see sidebar).
Special to the Snowmass Sun
Aspen High School senior and Skier Scribbler contributor Ava Thornley.
Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is one of the many qualities that makes Aspen High School the esteemed public school it is.
To earn the full diploma, students must take six IB classes most of which are two-year courses write a 4,000-word essay and participate in a Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) project. Students are required to sacrifice their time, and sometimes their personal activities, to successfully complete the program.
It’s common for juniors and seniors to take at least one IB class, but enrolling in the program in which students can earn a full IB diploma has gained popularity in the past few years. We all hear that the program is the best preparation we will get for college. But is that enough reward to make the commitment worth it?