Brandon Lercher of Beebe is a star, but not just any star. He was named Arkansas’ Interscholastic Star at the end of April.
“[When I won], I was very excited. I was almost in shock at first,” Lercher said.
The award is presented by the Arkansas Activities Association and State Farm Insurance. The winning student is given a $1,000 scholarship.
Arkansas’ Interscholastic Star program is designed to recognize and reward an individual whose efforts might not otherwise be noticed, said Annette Savage, assistant executive director of the Arkansas Activities Association.
“We look for a student who exemplifies the three A’s,” Savage said.
The three A’s are active involvement in school activities and community service; adaptability to meet challenging situations with courage, perseverance and commitment; and an attitude of cooperation, dependability and application of interpersonal skills, Savage said.
The Arkansas Interscholastic Star award is given annually to a junior enrolled in an Arkansas high school.
Lercher said he was told about the award by his high school counselor, Carla Choate.
“I had to write an essay [for the award], and God let it happen,” Lercher said.
Lercher plays tennis and is a member of the track team at Beebe High School. Those two activities are just a fraction of the organizations in which Lercher is involved at school.
“I’m a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Youth Alive, BETA Club, the Band Council, and I’m also in Key Club,” Lercher said.
Although he’s active in his school, Lercher has not let his extracurricular activities get in the way of academics, Choate said.
“His GPA is well above a 4-point,” Choate said. “He’s always such a gentleman and never says anything he shouldn’t say.”
Lercher said his involvement in activities has given him a chance to meet and interact with his fellow students at Beebe High School.
“In the courses I’m in, we have the same 30 people, but [school involvement] allows me to see all different people from different social groups,” Lercher said.
Lercher said the money he received will go toward his college education when he graduates from high school in 2014. He said he is still unsure of his higher—education plans, but he is leaning toward attending the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Choate said she’s been impressed with Lercher as a student and a person.
“He’s very tied to his family,” Choate said. “He has a younger brother, and Brandon had to take a lot of responsibility taking care of his brother [in the past].”
Lercher’s desire to grow and improve himself stands out to Choate.
“He always wants to make himself better,” Choate said. “He’s good at coming into a room, reaching out to people and making sure they’re all included. I’m so proud of him because he really does deserve it.”
Savage said every high school in Arkansas is invited to nominate an 11th—grader for the Arkansas Interscholastic Star award, and this year, about 65 high schools nominated a student.
Lercher said he encourages any junior in the state to apply for the award but stresses that students need to just be themselves.
“Try to help others in any way that you can, and just try to be a good human being,” Lercher said.
Staff writer Lisa Burnett can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or lburnett@arkansasonline.com.