Each year, The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth invites the area's top academic students to participate in its Talent Search.

Invited students scored in the 97th percentile or higher on school standardized tests, then took additional above-grade exams, the PLUS Academic Abilities Assessment for the fifth- and sixth-graders and the SAT for the seventh- and eighth-graders.

An awards ceremony was held May 11 to honor the top students. More than 84,000 students from 19 states and Washington, D.C., participated in the talent searches.

Local fifth- and sixth-graders who took the PLUS Academic Abilities Assessment include: Zachary Adams and Christopher McPherson, Riderwood Elementary; Michael Beckman, Stoneleigh Elementary; Peter Berger and Alan McCormick, St. Pius X; Jeffrey Dalla Tezza, Loch Raven Academy; Meghan Dunn and Katrina Schuetz, Immaculate Conception; Robert Grammmer, Kelly Kane, Carol Kim, Youngho Moon, Thomas Petrilak and Emma Reisinger, Lutherville Elementary; Erin Murphy, Warren Elementary; Kylie O'Neill-Mullin, Molly Phelps and Lauren Schumacher, St. Paul's School for Girls; and Collin Spoleti, Pinewood Elementary.

Area seventh- and eighth-graders who took the college SAT include: Helen Behnke-Hanson, Meredith Capron, Emily Dutrow, Michael Hu, David Jiang, Jordan Keeney, Anthony Lam, Mark Mullauer, Rachael Sanders, Andrew Stershic, Cynthia Sun and Eric Van Lieshout, all of Cockeysville Middle; Rachel Cosgray and Amanda Wild, Notre Dame Preparatory; Rachel Fogel and Marc Umbricht, The Friends School; Alexander Hutcheon and Taylor Riley, home school; Patrick Jones, Loyola Blakefield; Rachel Kwon, Ridgely Middle; Ellene Mobbs, St. Paul's School for Girls; Kendal Reed and Joan Xu, Dumbarton Middle; Yoojin Rhee and Margaret Won, Bryn Mawr School; and Jaehoon Rhee and Avesh Thuluvath, Gilman School.

Additionally, Colin Reynolds of Baltimore Lutheran School was recognized for his score on the Spatial Test Battery.

>Towson High School senior Dan Blumenfeld won a Gold Key Award for his original film script.

>Towson High School senior Lara Henneman was named the grand-prize winner in the DeSales University High School Poetry Competition. Fellow senior Olivia Cumming won honorable mention.

>The following seniors received the Baltimore County Ethics Award: Sarah Bormel, Carver Center for the Arts and Technology; Brian Tripp, Dulaney High; Robert Dauses, Loch Raven High; and Beverly Lee, Towson High.

>The Baltimore County Career and Technology Education (CTE) Advisory Council and the Baltimore County Association for Counseling and Development played host to a student recognition dinner May 7 for graduating seniors in CTE programs. The following local students were honored:

At Carver Center for the Arts and Technology: Jen Sadowski, construction trades; Jennifer Bilenky, culinary arts and restaurant management; Jason Daniel Fair, information systems management; Whittney Brown, information technology; Michelle Oswald, technology education; and Chris LaMartina, telemedia.

At Dulaney High School: Sona Delkhoon, accounting; Julie Madoni, child-care services; Samantha Judge, school to career transition; and Sina Esnaashari, technology education.

At Loch Raven High School: Hitesh Patel, accounting; Amanda Barsotti, child-care services; Anthony Talbot, community work experience; Michael Harris, information technology; Josanne T. Sampson, school to career transition; Kenneth Fowler, technology education; Brittany Tracey, school to career transition; and Clementine Martinez, technology education.

>Katherine Frohman, a senior at Towson High School, participated in the 58th annual Citizenship Education Conference, sponsored by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, where she has enrolled for the fall.

>Baltimore County Public Schools honored students who earned National Merit Finalist status at a ceremony May 19.

Students honored included Katherine Mullan and Jane Valenti from the Carver Center for the Arts and Technology; Michael Bowers, Kevin Smit and Lekshmi Santhosh from Dulaney High; Joanne Arnest, Robert Dauses and Yu Gan from Loch Raven High; and Julianne Bachur, Laura Cavanaugh, Brenna Lemieux and Tyler Woulfe from Towson High.

Additionally, Rachael Medina and Cynthia Rodriguez from Dulaney High were recognized as Hispanic National Merit scholars.

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