An Anderson High School junior recently received a remarkable assessment score.
Scarlett Aguilar Clark recently scored a perfect 600 and received distinguished honors on the Project Lead the Way Principles of Biomedical Sciences National End of Course Assessment, meaning Clark scored higher than 100% of the students who took the test nationwide.
After taking the assessment, Clark said she was nervous about her performance on the exam, but was surprised to find out about her perfect score.
“I don’t think it clicked in my brain at first,” Clark said. “At first, I was like ‘I got a full score. Awesome.’ Then my teacher, Mr Dillard, told me about it.
“I was thinking about that, like, ‘100%, doesn’t that mean I did better than all the other test takers?’ I would technically be, in the aspect of this test, the No. 1 in the country. I think that’s when it clicked for me, and I was like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know that I was capable of doing something like that.’”
Joshua Dillard, a Project Lead the Way teacher at AHS, describes Project Lead the Way as “a not-for-profit organization that designs courses that are curriculum designed for college and career readiness, while providing authentic real-world, industry-focused learning opportunities.”
The assessment itself helps students apply what they have learned throughout the course by testing both content and skill readiness.
“I do not know what is being tested, which is good because I do not focus on teaching to a test, but rather teaching students the skills they will need to succeed in the field of biomedical sciences,” Dillard said.
Dillard said he was elated to learn of Clark’s success.
“I really am excited to see her do so well and am proud of her, since it will help her when she gets to college or takes more medical field related courses.”
When learning about her score, Clark realized this could help her receive college credit for the class, as well as open up doors for her in the future.
“I want to be a neurosurgeon when I grow up,” Clark said. “This score, especially in the biomedical field, would help me and give me an opportunity to apply to a higher-end college and a more renowned college in the future.”
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin.