Nathan Chowdhury, a junior at Columbia High, was announced as the Columbia County School District’s Sunshine State Scholar at Tuesday’s board meeting.
According to Justin Lang, the district’s director of instructional services, assessment and accountability, the Sunshine State Scholars must meet a handful of requirements, including being a junior who is considering attending college in the state, have an interest in STEM, a GPA of 3.9 or higher, on track to qualify for the Florida Academic Scholars Award and have at least 25 hours of approved community service.
The Sunshine State Scholars and their parents will meet in May to receive recognition from state education officials.
Chowdhury, though, far surpasses those minimums, Lang said. Chowdhury has a 4.0 GPA and is currently ranked first in his class at CHS and is described as a “role model” by his teachers who helps other students in STEM-related courses.
Chowdhury also plans to conduct independent research studying clinical neuroscience, Lang said, as he intends to become a physician specializing in vascular neurology.
“Needless to say, we are confident this student will be an excellent representative of the district at the Sunshine State Scholar event,” Lang said.
After Chowdhury was presented with a certificate for the honor, Board Chair Dana Brady-Giddens congratulated him.
“That’s quite an accomplishment,” she said. “We’re very, very proud of you.”
The other board members asked CHS Principal Trey Hosford at the end of the meeting to offer their congratulations to Chowdhury.
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Columbia High junior Nathan Chowdhury was recognized by School Board Chair Dana Brady-Giddens (left) and Superintendent Lex Carswell (right) as the district’s Sunshine State Scholar at Tuesday’s board meeting. (JAMIE WACHTER/Lake City Reporter)