For the second year in a row, an Alachua County Public School student has been named one of six Regional Scholars in the Florida Sunshine State Scholars Program, which recognizes the best math and science students in the state.

Buchholz High School senior Jessi Shroads outperformed students from 17 other counties in a regional competition held in mid-January. The competition involved taking a challenging math and science test developed by a statewide panel of judges. She will now go on to the state competition in Tallahassee in mid-March.

Last year Aaron Wysocki, also a Buchholz student, was a regional scholar in the prestigious program.

“It’s a great accomplishment to earn regional scholar status,” said Pam Morgan, the district’s math curriculum specialist. “To have two regional scholars in a row says a lot about the quality of students and the quality of instruction we have here in Alachua County.”

For the state level competition, Shroads will have to develop a fifteen-page research paper on hurricanes and present her findings to expert judges. She’ll also be taking another exam that will test her knowledge of math and scientific concepts.

The additional work Shroads will have to do to prepare for the state competition won’t be easy to fit into her busy schedule. She’s currently taking six rigorous Advanced Placement courses, and maintains a weighted grade point average of 4.65. She’s a member of the highly successful Buchholz math team, and has played French horn in both the Howard Bishop Middle and Buchholz bands for seven years.

Interestingly enough, she wasn’t a big fan of science until high school, and had originally planned to be a writer. Then she took an honors chemistry course taught by veteran teacher Marilyn Booher, and that experience stimulated her interest in science. She now says she’d encourage other students entering high school to keep an open mind.

“Don’t limit yourself too early,” she said. “I almost did that, and I’m glad now that I didn’t. It’s good to be flexible.”

Although her college plans aren’t yet final, Shroads hopes to be accepted into the prestigious Integrated Sciences Program at Northwestern University and study physics, chemistry and biology, with perhaps a double major in mathematics. From there, she plans to pursue a career related to science and math.

“She definitely has the ability, the motivation and the work ethic to accomplish whatever she wants,” said Booher. “Her potential is unlimited.”