University View Academy (UVA) twelfth grade students are nominated annually for the Student of the Year award program sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). The Student of the Year program honors students based on their leadership, academic performance, citizenship, and service to their school and community. UVA’s Student of the Year is Savanna Curson.
UVA is the only school that Curson has ever known. Curson enrolled at UVA in kindergarten when her family moved to Tangipahoa Parish. A member of UVA’s Early College Academy, Curson will graduate at 16 years old with an associate in general studies degree from Northwestern State University. In addition to her schoolwork, she is actively involved in Beta Club and National Honor Society.
“I’ve put so much work into my high school career that when I got the nomination email I thought, ‘there’s no reason not to go for it,’” Curson said. “I didn’t really think I would win. It’s a little surreal.”
Nominees for Student of the Year at UVA must meet several rigorous academic standards, including a cumulative weighted GPA of 3.75 or higher and a composite ACT score of 27 or higher. Curson’s academic diligence is supported by her family, especially her mother and her two older siblings.
“I remember walking onto their college campuses and thinking ‘I want to do this,’” Curson shared. “I want to make them proud and be like them.”
Outside of school, Curson volunteers with the ENGin program, a non-profit organization that connects Ukrainian youth with the global community by pairing them with English-speaking volunteers. The program requires weekly video calls for conversation practice and cross-cultural exchange. Curson is passionate about helping others. She has been accepted to Rice University and plans to pursue her degree in biology with the hopes of continuing on to medical school and becoming a neurosurgeon.
Far from feeling daunted by her future, Curson is confident and excited. “UVA helped prepare me a lot for college by allowing me to take control of my school experience,” Curson shared. “There’s freedom, but responsibility comes with that. You have to be disciplined and organized.”
As a recipient of the district-level award, Curson will compete for Student of the Year at the state level. UVA is proud of Curson for her diligence and commitment to academic excellence.