Ferndale Freshman Scores Perfect 36 on ACT

Ferndale Freshman Scores Perfect 36 on ACT
(Crystal A. Proxmire, June 17, 2015)
The number of students who can claim a perfect 36 on the ACT is less than one tenth of one percent. Often taken by high school juniors and seniors, the ACT helps colleges and scholarship  judges determine the college readiness of applicants. So for 14-year-old Ferndale High School Freshman Jacob Keener, the feat was particularly rare.
“We are so proud of Jacob and his academic work. I also want to acknowledge all his teachers and the great work they have done in preparing Jacob. Achieving a perfect score is extremely difficult and very few students achieve this in high school, let alone their freshman year. It is another great example of the excellent students and the excellent education we have in Ferndale,” said Superintendent Blake Prewitt when he learned of Keener’s success.
Keener (who turns 15 in July) has the kind of extracurricular life one might expect for a kid whose dream it is to work for NASA. He’s on his way to moving  in the Boy Scout to Eagle Scout. He plays viola in the school orchestra and spends Sundays in a church youth group. And he is part of the award-winning Impi robotics team. Plus there is cross country, track, and swimming.  Like the ACT score, Keener’s GPA is the highest possible mark.
“Jacob has a great sense of humor, a strong moral compass, and is a caring young man,” said proud mom Mary Keener. Both of Jacob’s parents graduated from Ferndale High School and are happy to hand down their Eagle Pride.
“The district, and its wonderful teachers, have challenged and encouraged Jacob,” she said.
It was one of those wonderful teachers who inspired him to try the test. “My favorite subjects in school are math and science, because they are interesting to me, I’m good at them, and I have very good teachers in those classes. In fact, it was my science teacher, Mrs. Maes, who encouraged me to take the ACT.”
Keener said that “As a school, we took the practice ACT in the fall, and we did a variety of prep work during the school year, but other than going over shortcuts I was taught, I didn’t do a lot of preparation specifically for this test.”
However much prep time there was, it paid off. And now with the big test out of the way, Keener can get back to thinking of the more simple things in life, like how to be an aerospace engineer.
Learn more about Ferndale Schools at www.ferndaleschools.org.
Learn more about the Impi Robotics Team at https://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/03/05/ferndales-impi-robotics-team-wins-district-event-presents-at-governors-summit/.
 

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