Through the Years
KARNS CITY — Maura King, Emily Wolfe and Taylor Ekis have been best friends since junior high, which will come in handy when the Karns City High School graduation ceremony gets under way Wednesday.
The trio will give the commencement speeches: Emily is valedictorian, Taylor is salutatorian and Maura is the senior class president.
But there won't be any competitiveness in crafting their addresses to the Class of 2019.
“I will pick a main topic or idea and then each of us will support one another and build off that idea,” Emily said. “We are working with one of our English teachers (Matt Bates) to help us prepare it.”
She said Bates put them on a schedule.
“We've had to give a speech in our English classes before, but nothing like giving a high school graduation speech,” said Maura. The honor student with a QPA of 4.2 is the daughter of Steve and Petula King of East Brady.
But they seem up for the challenge, just as they've been up for the academic challenges in their senior years.Emily, daughter of Timothy and Kristiana Wolfe of East Brady, has a GPA of 4.7.Taylor, daughter of Darrin and Beth Ekis of Karns City, clocked in with a GPA of 4.6.They both were able to exceed the perfect 4.0 grade average by taking AP, or advanced placement, courses.Advanced Placement is a program created by the College Board that offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students, according to Brenda Knoll, Karns City High School assistant principal administrator of the AP program.“Colleges and universities may grant course credit to students who obtain high scores on the examinations,” Knoll said.“When I came here in the 2015-16 school year, there was only one AP course” she said. “Now in the 2018-19 school year, we are up to seven courses, and next year there will be eight for '19-'20 school year.”The AP classes currently available to Karns City students are calculus AB, calculus BC, chemistry, computer science principles, English language and composition, English literature and composition, and world history.“Next year, we are going to add computer science A,” Knoll said.“The AP classes are run through the College Board. They are the ones who manage the curriculum that must be followed,” said Knoll.AP tests are scored on a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 deemed extremely well qualified down to 1, which means no recommendation.It's truly a labor of love for the teachers, she said, because the AP designation doesn't mean a pay increase or even a better parking spot. AP teachers also take a weeklong training course, often in the summer.Generally, she said, a student needs the recommendation of a teacher to enroll in an AP course.“Any student can apply for an AP course, but for some we wouldn't recommend it,” Knoll said.Emily said, “I'm taking AP English literature and composition. I'm also taking computer science principles. Last year, I took three: AP language and composition, AP chemistry and AP calculus AB.”Taylor said, “I took AP literature and composition and AP computer science principles. Last year, I took three: AP language and composition, AP chemistry and AP calculus AB.”For Emily, the advanced courses provided a mental workout.“I kind of wanted a challenge. I thought I would try it out and see,” she said.
Of course, there is another reason to take an AP class in addition to the intellectual rigor.Knoll said some colleges use AP test scores to exempt students from introductory coursework, others use them to place students in higher designated courses, and some do both.Emily got both a challenge and a leg up on her college courses.“I've been accepted to St. Francis College in Loretto. I'm going to major in nursing,” she said. “So far, the language and composition and the chemistry will transfer.”As for the calculus, she said, “I like calculus, but it's not really applying to be being a nurse. I want to go into neonatal nursing.”Taylor said she plans to attend West Virginia University as a pharmacy major.“I really like health care and I wanted to do something in the health care field. I'm pretty sure chemistry will count as an elective, but it won't replace chemistry I and II and organic chemistry I and II that I'll have to take. I thought it would help me prepare for the college classes, even though I still have to take them. It will help me prepare for them.”
Emily and Taylor said the demanding AP classes take time out of their already busy schedules.“I had a lot of homework. I play sports — volleyball and softball — and with AP I had to choose one. I ending up taking softball,” Emily said.For that reason, Maura said she opted not to take any AP classes in her senior year.“I'm going to Cook Honors College at IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania),” Maura said. “I want to major in early childhood education.”Started in 1996, the Robert E. Cook Honors College admits about 100 students each fall. According to IUP, Cook students typically finish in the top 10 percent of their high school class and have a combined SAT score of 1250.“I didn't end up taking (AP courses) because I was unsure of what to take,” Maura said. “And I'm very involved in activities.”Still, Knoll said the number of Karns City High School students opting for AP classes keeps growing.“For example in 2017, we had 44 take the AP exams,” she said. “In 2018, we had 56 take the AP exams. The numbers are rising each year. Students take it to get a jump on college or to increase the rigor. For a small, rural school district, we are meeting the need academically and trying to even the playing field.”
