Author: Donnie Sewell

Dr. Rheo Morris, dean of students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, has been selected as a member of Leadership Arkansas Class XVIII.

Leadership Arkansas is sponsored by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas. The nine-month program consists of nine multi-day sessions held in different locations throughout the state. The sessions feature Arkansas leaders who represent a wide geographic base and who have diverse backgrounds and vocations. This year’s class has 53 participants.

“Leadership Arkansas was designed to give us first-hand experience of the interactions between cities, industries and government units in Arkansas, so I am ecstatic to learn more about these interactions. As a transplant to Arkansas, I am also really excited to travel to areas of the state that I have not visited prior,” Morris said.

“As an introvert, I hope to capitalize on the friendships and networking opportunities. I want to learn where I can fit in to make the highest impact on the lives of our young Arkansans.”

Mary Zunick, a member of the ASMSA Board of Visitors and cultural affairs manager for Visit Hot Springs, was also selected to participate in the program.

Morris is a graduate of the Leadership Hot Springs program and currently serves on its board. Participating in that program helped her become more familiar with the city.

“Participating in Leadership Hot Springs and serving on its board has helped me learn things about Hot Springs that I would not have learned on my own and also helped me feel at home,” she said. “I feel more connected to its people, and I also gained the confidence to put myself out there and be more involved.”

In addition to serving on Leadership Hot Springs’ board, Morris is a member of Rotary Club of Oaklawn, Junior Auxiliary of Hot Springs and an assistant clerk and youth director at her church.

Since learning of her acceptance into the Leadership Arkansas program, she said past class members have reached out to her and other selectees from Hot Springs to host a lunch meet-and-greet to answer questions.

“We have been welcomed with open arms into the program, and I cannot wait to meet my fellow classmates,” Morris said.

Twenty-two students from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts Class of 2014 along with three chaperones traveled to Japan in June 2013 as part of the Kakehashi Project — a 10-day cultural exchange program sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan.

A decade later, more than 500 members of the school’s community of learning have traveled the world as part of its Global Learning Program — establishing studying abroad as a central component of the ASMSA experience.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts received a $10,000 continuing grant from the United Way of the Ouachitas and the Oaklawn Foundation Student Wellness Fund on Monday.

The grant supports a variety of residential programs related to mental and physical health on campus. Mandy Spraggins, outreach and marketing director for the United Way of the Ouachitas, presented a check for the grant to Ashley Bennett, ASMSA director of institutional advancement, and ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice.

“United Way of the Ouachitas’ gift makes a substantial difference in the quality of care we are able to provide for our residential students,” Bennett said. “With United Way’s continued support of the Oaklawn Foundation Student Wellness Fund at ASMSA, we are able to provide students with CPR training, food vouchers, necessary supplies for our school nurse and much more. We are so thankful for their partnership with ASMSA.”

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts kicked off its 30-year anniversary celebration by recognizing the contributions of both current and former faculty during a luncheon on Wednesday.

August 23 is celebrated annually as ASMSA’s Founders Day. On Aug. 23, 1993, the school’s first students began classes at what was then known as the Arkansas School for Mathematics and Sciences. Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, marked the three decades since that inaugural day of instruction.

Faculty members from across the school’s past and present gathered for a luncheon, recognition of their service and a beam-signing for the new Campus Administration Building currently under construction.

Nhi Le has a strong passion for medicine. Working in the medical field is a lifelong dream for her, and she has participated in teen volunteer programs at hospitals over the past few summers.

This summer, she participated in the teen volunteer program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. As part of her volunteer work, Le held a bake sale to raise funds for the institute’s Patient Support Fund. After her bake sale, Le was able to donate half of the funds she raised — $429 — to the fund.

Le also donated $429 to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where she had volunteered in the Chemotherapy Section and General Pediatric Clinic during the summer of 2022.  The funds were used to help purchase toys and gifts for the hospital’s young patients.

“I got to experience taking care of patients firsthand and creating trusting relationships,” said Le, a senior at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts. “I always feel grateful for all the opportunities I have received; therefore I decided that I wanted to pay it forward and share my passion for helping others, especially the young children I worked with.”

She spent about two months researching different cookie recipes and practicing baking before starting the fundraiser. With the help of her family and friends as well as customers at a business association meeting, she was able to turn her treats into a sweet gift for both medical facilities.

Le said volunteering at the hospitals as well as at Camp Aldersgate, a camp for individuals with special needs in Little Rock, has reinforced her desire to work in the medical field.

“The past three summers working at three different hospitals plus Camp Aldersgate have helped me realize I want to make an impact for tpeople in need. I believe that taking small actions compounds into making huge differences. Thus, I always look for ways to share the love of helping those who are in need,” she said.

Twenty students from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts were named 2023 Computer Science Students of Distinction by the Arkansas Academy of Computing.

The Computer Science Students of Distinction Award recognizes high school juniors and seniors for their academic achievements in computer education. It was created in 2019 by the Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Arkansas Academy of Computing partnered with the Education Department, CSforAR, IMPAC, the Arkansas Computer Science Teachers Association, the Arkansas STEM Coalition and the Arkansas Community Foundation to promote the program.

Eligible 11^th- and 12^th- graders in Arkansas public, private and home schools were selected using their accomplishments in computer-related academics, competitive achievements, personal growth and service to others.

ASMSA students who were recognized include:

• Eliana Adamos of Harrison, Class of 2023;
• Madison Arenaz of Holcomb, Mo., Class of 2023;
• Nasya Choy of Conway, Class of 2024;
• Shane Driver of Helena-West Helena, Class of 2024;
• Nil Gipson of Sherwood, Class of 2023;
• Lilly Harden of Hot Springs, Class of 2024;
• Grayson Jackson of Benton, Class of 2024;
• Nhi Le of Little Rock, Class of 2024;
• Michelle Lin of Little Rock, Class of 2024;
• James Mathis of Russellville, Class of 2024;
• Cecil Mitchell of Belleville, Class of 2023;
• Grace Moody of Little Rock, Class of 2024;
• Andrew Nguyen of Sherwood, Class of 2024;
• Chelsea Nwankwo of Alexander, Class of 2023;
• Brent Marcus Orlina of Little Rock, Class of 2024;
• Jayden Patel of Blytheville, Class of 2024;
• Michael Schranz of Hot Springs, Class of 2024;
• Shreyam Tripathi of Conway, Class of 2023;
• Charis Xiong of White Hall, Class of 2023; and
• Vicky Zhu of El Dorado, Class of 2023.

The Arkansas Academy of Computing is an organization comprised of more than 200 individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of Computing in Arkansas. In addition to providing administration and funding for the CSSoD, the Arkansas Academy of Computing offers supplemental scholarships for students majoring in computing degree programs at these Arkansas universities: Arkansas State University, Arkansas Tech, Henderson State, South Arkansas, UA Fayetteville, UA Little Rock, UA Monticello, UA Pine Bluff, and the University of Central Arkansas.

For more information on the Arkansas Academy of Computing, visit: https://www.araoc.org.

Ashley Kincannon, a computer science specialist at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, was selected as Arkansas’ 2023 California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence.

Kincannon was selected as the 2021 Arkansas Education Association Teacher of the Year. That led her to be selected for the California Casualty Award by the National Educational Association Foundation through the AEA.

The California Casualty awardees represent educators from across the country who embody excellence in their practice, advocacy for the profession, commitment to equity and opportunity, community engagement and leadership in professional development, according to The NEA Foundation website.

Kincannon accepted the California Casualty Award during the NEA Foundation Salute to Excellence in Education Gala held in Washington, D.C., in May. She was excited to attend the NEA awards ceremony.

“Being recognized at the national level was incredible because I had the opportunity to network with educators from across the nation. I enjoy learning about what others are doing in their classrooms and state because it broadens my perspective and gives me additional ideas for what I can do here in Arkansas,” she said.

Kincannon said receiving the award served as validation of who she is as an educator.

“I am passionate and dedicated to this profession because I would not be where I am today without the educators who touched my life and planted seeds of inspiration within me,” Kincannon said. “Educators have a special role and opportunity to change the lives of their students. I am thankful for my journey as an educator, and I look forward to what the future holds for me.”

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts received Gold Medal recognition in the Arkansas Computer Science Gold Medal School Program sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Education Office of Computer Science.

ASMSA is the first school to achieve the Computer Science Gold Medal designation since the program was established in the fall of 2020 by the Arkansas Department of Education. The program recognizes Arkansas high schools for outstanding work in implementing computer science and computing programs.

Ranks are based on information submitted to and reviewed by the Office of Computer Science. As part of the ranking rubric, schools obtaining a minimum number of points may receive a bronze, silver or gold ranking, with gold being the highest level and requiring high performance in a majority of the criteria. In addition to ASMSA, seven other high schools across the state earned either a Silver or Bronze Medal for the 2022-23 cycle.