Douglas County School

The Douglas County School District (DCSD) is honored to recognize students who exceeded expectations in the Advanced Placement (AP) program. DCSD celebrates the 26 students who earned the AP Capstone Diploma and the 19 students who earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate during the 2020-2021 school year. The AP Capstone Diploma program helps students develop critical thinking, research, collaboration and presentation skills that are critical to academic success.

“We are thrilled to honor the achievements of our DCSD students who participated in the AP Capstone Diploma program,” said DCSD Superintendent Corey Wise. “Our AP students and teachers strive every day for greatness. The AP college readiness program serves our students well after high school.”

To receive the AP Capstone Diploma, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and on four additional AP Exams. To receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research. More than 2,000 schools participated in the AP Capstone program worldwide during the 2020-2021 school year.

Unlike traditional AP subject exams with a single end-of-year assessment, AP Seminar and AP Research assessments are project-based and evaluate skills mastery through group projects, presentations and individual essays completed throughout the year. Instead of focusing on one specific academic discipline, AP Seminar and AP Research are interdisciplinary: students are empowered to create research projects based on topics of personal interest and they are assessed on the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management and presentation skills needed to complete their projects.

“Congratulations to the AP Capstone award winners, who conduct, present, and defend academic research on topics they are passionate about,” said Trevor Packer, College Board senior vice president of AP and Instruction. “Their ability to manage long-term projects, collaborate with teams, and deliver effective presentations will accelerate both their academic and professional careers.”

DCSD celebrates these outstanding scholars:

Castle View High School - AP Capstone Diploma

• Josephine Defnet

• Audrey Dizdar

• Zoe Fotinos

• Jacob Hall

• Jessica Legaard<

• Aurora O’Connor

• Emma Peters

• Owen Topolnicki

• Leigh Walden

• Cody Zenyuh

• Keyla Gholipoursani

• Megan Harry

• Brandon Boulton

• Elan Fleetwood

• Chloe Hansen

• Caleb Ramsey

• Caleb Vasko

• Curtis Waters

• Anneli Ahlmann

• Keely Bloomfield

• Lauren Clanton

• Peyton Evans

• Alison Fox

• Joshua Hilgartner

• Lillian Kurtz

• Olivia McEvoy

• Madison Reiman

• Noah Roppe

• Emily Tate

• Alexandra Torres

• Caleb Wilson

• Dara Burkholder

• Blake Burnham

• Julia Drobish

• Isabella Giudicelli Sims

• Michael Gladstone

• Karlee Gotaas

• Jada Horan

• Kaushik Kaja

• Olivia Luhnau

• Alisha Pravasi

• Maya Ratner

• Amiya Sharma

• Alexander Sorensen

• Diya Vinod

• Runeem Al Abssi

• Megan Anderson

• Heidi Brent

• Robbie Reinhardt

• William Richards

The College Board Advanced Placement® Program gives students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school. A 3 or higher on an AP Exam has multiple benefits for students, including earning college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on AP Exams, saving them time and money. Research shows AP students are better prepared for and more likely to enroll and remain in college, do well in classes and earn their degrees on time. Each exam is developed by a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that AP Exams align with their high standards.