Academic signing day, a ceremony where students with a GPA of 4.6 or higher sign with their committed college was hosted on March 26 to highlight student academic scores and high achievements for the first time.
AP Government and AP US History teacher Elizabeth Tompkins played a crucial role in the ceremony. Tompkins stated, “We had eleven scholars that met that 4.6 Grade Point Average threshold at the end of fall semester and they were able to sign.” Tompkins further explained that this is something she hopes to see as an annual tradition, commenting, “We would like this to be a permanent tradition at Perry.” Tompkins hopes to see the event as something that continues to highlight the high achieving nature of students.
Senior Reese Deschamps was one of the seniors that signed at Academic Signing Day. Deschamps highlighted having supportive teachers and friends as something that got her through advanced classes. Deschamps advised, “Really try not to get behind on work…It’s easy to give up but keep trying until the end of the semester.” For Deschamps, maintaining her GPA wasn’t always easy, as pressure can build throughout high school. She further elaborated, “There were a lot of weeks with lots of projects and hard tests at the same time.” Overall, Deschamps is honored to have signed at Academic Signing Day, but will not forget the diligence it took her to make it onto the stage.
Senior Bennett Kraver’s motivation came from what he was learning, as the material in his classes he found intriguing. Kraver elaborated, “In my first two years of high school, it was definitely easier to maintain a high GPA. However, junior and senior year have been quite difficult, and I have had several sleepless nights balancing classwork.” Kraver feels as if this achievement validates all he’s been working for throughout high school. Overall, Kraver advises students to always ask for help, whether it be from peers or teachers.
Overall, the event was positively received by both students partaking in the event, as well as parents and teachers watching the event. Though this was the first Academic Signing Day, 2026 marked the first of many to come.
