The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) proudly celebrates two high school students for earning perfect scores on college-level Advanced Placement (AP) exams in spring 2023. Malibu High School (MHS) senior Molly O’Neill and Santa Monica High School (Samohi) senior Emmaline Thorpe not only received the top score of five, but were also two of only 337 students nationally to earn every point possible on the AP 2-dimensional (2-D) art and design exam, which was taken by approximately 49,000 students worldwide.
“My AP perfect score was quite unexpected, but I am very excited that my portfolio impressed the College Board,” said O’Neill, who aspires to be film director like her grandfather and great-grandfather. “My experiences from taking photography in school have definitely supplied me with the knowledge I need for filmmaking, and so I am grateful I had the experience to create a portfolio.”
Both students were pleasantly surprised by their perfect scores, highlighting that their hard work and unwavering dedication played pivotal roles in achieving this remarkable accomplishment in the AP 2-D art and design exam.
“I put a lot of work into my sustained investigation, but was still unsure what score I’d get, so I’m extremely grateful for my score, and really appreciate the College Board’s recognition of my art,” said Thorpe, who hopes to study art in college. “Samohi has an amazing and supporting environment that I am grateful for. Everyone from Ms. Bouse, who has been my art teacher for four years now, to my family and friends, have been inspirational with their support and motivation.”
“I am overjoyed to celebrate the remarkable achievement of these two outstanding students who earned perfect scores on their AP exams,” said SMMUSD Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton. “Their exceptional accomplishment is a testament to their talent and dedication, as well as our unwavering commitment to nurturing the arts within SMMUSD.”
Trevor Packer, head of the Advanced Placement program, acknowledged the pivotal role played by educators in nurturing and motivating diverse students to reach their full academic potential.
“AP courses and exams are college-level, requiring great focus and persistence among participating students,” said Packer. “We applaud the educators who encourage students to challenge themselves, who motivate and encourage diverse students to achieve their academic potential.”
The Advanced Placement program is committed to ensuring that students have access to the opportunities they have earned. Students who succeed in AP are not only more likely to succeed in college, but have the chance to save a significant amount of time and money by earning college credit or placement.
Colleges and universities around the world receive AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, and/or consideration in the admission process. To learn more about AP, please visit exploreap.org.
The Board of Education will recognize the students at the Oct. 19 school board meeting for their accomplishments.