Academic All-Staters

Two Washington High School Seniors are among the top 100 scholars in Oklahoma.

Kate Boothe and Jennie Higdon have been selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence as Academic All-State Scholars.

Boothe has made the superintendent’s honor roll every semester and has won the OSSM Master of Integration Award, has been named the outstanding achievement award winner for pre-calculus, English II, English III, Spanish I Spanish II and U.S. History.

She is a member of the National Honor Society and placed at the Southwestern Interscholastic meet in 2022 in Spanish II, modern math and physics.

Boothe was a delegate to Oklahoma Girls State and was appointed Supreme Court Justice and City Judge.

Among her awards, she was an OSSAA band sweepstakes state award winner in 2019 and 2021. She was the outstanding soloist in the Cordell Solo Contest in 2019. She has been named Southwestern Oklahoma Band Director’s Association All-State Band her junior and senior years and has been rated superior as a soloist in 2021 and 2022.

Boothe was vice president of the WHS Band Council as a junior and is currently the president. She has captained the Academic Team both junior and senior years, is a council member of the WHS Drama Club and is section leader of the Zephyrus Drum and Bugle Corps.

Among her volunteer and community services she has participated in scuba dive for debris, 2022-2022 that was responsible for cleaning up trash from the bed of Lake Murray and served as a Norman Regional Hospital Teen Hero Volunteer.

She has also worked at the information desk and coffee shop at Norman Regional and was a summer volunteer at the Purcell Public Library. She is also a counselor for the Washington Drama Camp.

Higdon is a member of the National Honor Society, is a winner of  the State Superintendent’s Arts Excellence Award, was first in the SWIM meet in physics as a junior and is a member of the National Rural and Small-Town Recognition Scholar program.

Among her list of extra-curricular and community activities is impressive from being an OSSAA All-State Band member to a three time OSSAA State Superior Rated Soloist and in the SWOBDA Honor Band.

She has been drum major, is on the student council, served as director of the drama club, Vacation Bible School volunteer, Show Choir, Science Club, Spanish Club, Jazz Band and Academic Team.

She has also been a Teen Hero Volunteer at Norman Regional, Tacos for the Homeless, Birthday grams for the community and socially distanced drive-by-birthday celebration with song and gift.

Each of the All-Staters receive a $1,500 merit-based cash award, honor cord and a medallion. The All-Staters will be recognized at the foundation’s 37th annual Academic Awards Banquet May 20 at the Cox Business Convention Center in Tulsa.

To be eligible for Academic All-State students must meet one of the following criteria: An American College Test (ACT) composite score of at least 30; a combined SAY evidence-based reading and writing and math score of at least 1,370 or be selected as a semi-finalist for a National Merit Scholarship.

This year’s class of All-Staters scored an average of 33 on the ACT with six of the recipients scoring a perfect 36. The students’ average GPA is 4.25 and 29 of this year’s group are National Merit semifinalists.

Academic All-Staters are selected on academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community involvement, as well as letters of recommendation and an essay submitted by each applicant.