Elk County Catholic High School is pleased to announce that graduating senior Isaac Gradl is the recipient of the first two Gary and Laura Anderson Advanced Placement Scholarships.
The Anderson family recently established the $1,000 scholarships to recognize ECCHS students who receive a score of 5 (Mastery of Subject) on an Advanced Placement College exam in a science, technology, engineering or math course.
Isaac Gradl received a 5 in B/C Calculus (Calc II) and a 5 in environmental science. Out of 2,200,000 college freshmen, only 14,600 earned a 5 in Environmental Science and 56,000 in B/C Calculus. Isaac was also designated an AP Scholar with Distinction, which is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more AP exams.
Isaac graduated in May from ECCHS and is attending Princeton University where he was accepted early action. He plans to major in Math or Economics. He is the son of Wendy and Howard (Ziggy) Gradl of Kersey, PA.
“Elk County Catholic is known for excellence in many fields,” said ECCSS President Sam MacDonald. “From arts and athletics to serious faith formation, we work hard to prepare our students to be leaders in their church, their profession, and their community. I am thrilled that Gary and Laura Anderson have established these scholarships to recognize the work that our students do and to incentivize them to excel in STEM courses. Mrs. Anderson has been a lead teacher in our science department for years. In addition to serving as an ECCSS board member, Gary has had a long and successful career as an excellent engineer at Keystone Powdered Metals. These scholarships solidify their demonstrated commitment to Elk County, to Elk County Catholic, and to our students.”
“We are thrilled that Isaac became the first recipient of this scholarship program,” said Laura Anderson. “Isaac was one of my top students. He is a tremendous scholar, a hard worker, and a wonderful young man. We could not be more proud of him.”
“Isaac demonstrates that ECC graduates are prepared to compete at the highest levels,” added Gary Anderson. “These AP classes are extremely demanding, especially for someone like Isaac who is taking multiple AP classes per year in addition to a full slate of extra-curricular activities. He demonstrates what our students can achieve when they work hard and aim high.”
