Author: Donnie Sewell

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include results from the national competition. The original story begins with the fourth paragraph.

A team from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts placed third in the 2023 National Personal Finance Challenge.

ASMSA seniors Beatrice Nknuga of Sherwood and Ai’Yanna Tombs of North Little Rock teamed with junior Daniel Nkunga of Sherwood represented ASMSA at the national competition held June 5 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio. The contest was sponsored by the Council for Economic Education.

Thirty-three teams competed for the title. Each team had two hours to review a detailed fictitious family case study and develop a presentation and then present to the assembled judges. The teams were divided into four groups with one team advancing to the final round.

Eight Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts students earned recognition at the Arkansas Junior Academy of Science, including two students who are now eligible to participate in a national conference next year.

During the competition, the students present their research on various topics to a panel of judges. This year’s state competition was held in conjunction with the Arkansas State Science and Engineering Fair at the University of Central Arkansas on March 31 and April 1.

Carl Frank and Nicholas Seward, both computer science instructors at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, were selected as finalists for the Arkansas Computer Science Educator of the Year for 2023.

The Arkansas Department of Education Office of Computer Science selected five finalists for the award, which honors educators who demonstrate a strong commitment to and substantial impact on the state’s computer science initiative in their school and community. The award was created in December 2018 by then Gov. Asa Hutchinson. This was the fifth year for the award.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts’ Class of 2023 earned about $20 million in scholarship offers as a group pushing the overall historical scholarship total extended to all graduates to more than $304 million.

The total was announced during the school’s 29^th annual Commencement Ceremony which honored the Class of 2023 on Saturday, May 20, at Bank OZK Arena at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The group included 77 students from 31 counties.

Though student persistence rates were consistent with recent cohorts, this year's graduating class was smaller as the result of available residential spaces being limited with the need for additional quarantine space during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as balancing class sizes in advance of the residential expansion that occurred in Fall 2022.

Michaela Stevens, a junior at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, earned recognition in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards national competition.

Stevens received a National Silver Key for her poem “expired film” in the writing competition. She advanced to the national competition by earning a Regional Golden Key in the competition’s regional contest earlier this year.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts will hold commencement exercises for the Class of 2023 at 4 p.m., Saturday, May 20, at the Bank OZK Arena at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

Jean Lacefield will deliver the commencement address. Lacefield served in upper management for Frito Lay Inc. and PepsiCo, Inc. Most recently, she served as Chair of Arkansans for the Arts.  ARftA's purpose is to serve the people of Arkansas as an independent statewide organization providing leadership focused on the promotion and advancement of the creative economy, on transforming policy in arts education, and uniting the state into one voice with a call to action by policymakers to increase investment in the arts.

Rose Brown of Donaldson, Ai’Yanna Tombs of North Little Rock and Talana Small of White Hall — all members of the Class of 2023 — will also speak during the ceremony.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts held its 2023 Honors Convocation on Monday, May 15. The annual Honors Convocation is an opportunity to recognize the students’ academic achievements for the school year as well as special awards and fellowships.

The Arkansas School for Mathematics Sciences and the Arts recognized students for their achievements in the 2023 Arts and Humanities Research Capstone Symposium during an awards ceremony on May 9.

The symposium is an opportunity for ASMSA students to showcase their talents within the arts and humanities. The event features lectures and performances by students in the fields of arts and literature, creative writing, fine arts, history and music. The lectures and performances are the result of capstone research projects conducted by the students as a required part of ASMSA’s academic program. The symposium was held May 5 on campus.