Harrisburg High school senior Harley Whitaker has been selected for the 2023 Missouri Scholars 100, a statewide program that honors 100 of Missouri’s top academic students in the graduating class of 2023. Students will be recognized at a luncheon at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia on Sunday, April 30.

The announcement was made by Mr. Kyle Fisher, Principal at Harrisburg.

Missouri Scholars 100 is a program sponsored by the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals. Schools across Missouri were invited to nominate candidates for this statewide recognition. The selection is based primarily on a formula using the student’s grade point average and ACT or SAT score. Each student nominated had first to meet the criteria of an “Academic Decathlon,” which included 10 “events” designed to ensure the student’s academic strength. The student must have a minimum GPA of 3.750, a minimum ACT score of 29, or a minimum SAT score of 1,280, be ranked in the upper 10 percent of the class, and take high-level courses in mathematics, science, and English and a foreign language. The student must also have excellent attendance, be an exemplary school citizen, and be involved in the school activity program.

Clark Mershon, Executive Director of the principals’ association, said, “The Missouri Scholars 100 Program is one of the premier academic recognition programs in the country. It is truly a celebration of learning. Students selected for this program have taken a rigorous course of study and maintained the highest academic standards. The Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals wants to celebrate the achievement and success of these students and their schools.”

The 2023 program is the 29th Annual Missouri Scholars 100 recognition.