Jefferson students earn top score on ACT test

Jefferson High School juniors Matthew Ouellet, Shane Ross and Paul Wakeham earned perfect scores on the American College Test (ACT). Out of the nearly 1.4 million students who took the test last year, less than three-tenths of one percent achieved the top score of 36.

All three students participated in the district’s gifted and talented programs and have taken numerous Advanced Placement (AP) and honors courses in high school.

Ouellet plays varsity and club soccer, participates in a bible study group, and serves as a troop leader in Boy Scouts. Ouellet plans to attend a four-year university after high school.

Ross is a member of the speech and debate team, the Multicultural Black Student Union, and will serve as a Pathfinder in the 2023-24 school year. His plans include attending college and working toward a doctorate degree.

Wakeham competes and serves as a referee in fencing. He plans to attend a four-year college and potentially graduate school.

The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading, and science. Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36, with a student’s composite score being the average of the four test scores. Colleges and universities use ACT scores as one data point to assess students’ readiness for the academic rigors of postsecondary study.