Lindbergh High School seniors Eliana Ash, Yuhan Wu and Jack Duncan have earned perfect ACT scores. To celebrate their accomplishments, the three were honored at an all-class assembly on Oct. 1, in which they were called up in front of their classmates and each presented with a “36” baseball jersey representing the perfect ACT score of 36.
The feat of earning a perfect score is rare. Lindbergh High School Principal Eric Cochran announced at the assembly that of the 1.4 million individuals who took the ACT last year, approximately 2,900 earned a perfect score.
Ash was made aware of her score when she was at work. She said she “didn’t really have a reaction until (she) got home,” and was able to share the news with her parents.
“They were really excited,” Ash said. “My mom didn’t understand at first, because she’s not American, so I had to really explain the entire ACT process and what constitutes a good score and a 36. They were super excited, and they were like, ‘We’re going to have so many scholarships.’”
Ash took the test twice, despite earning a 36 the first time. She explained that the original test she took did not include science, prompting her to take another version with that section as she is planning on majoring in astrophysics. She shared that she would like to attend the University of Illinois, but is also thinking about “Mizzou on a full ride.” She is currently involved with Lindbergh’s after-school theater program, is a member of the National German Honor Society and works on creative writing projects in her free time.
When Wu found out about her score, she was with her parents.
“We opened it at the same time, so that was a really exciting moment,” she said.
Wu, too, took the test just twice; she earned a 35 the first time around before scoring perfectly.
As far as the future, Wu has not decided on where she will attend college, but is planning to go into engineering. Through Lindbergh, Wu is currently a member of the National Honor Society, Computer Science Honors Society, Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition and the Women in STEM Club. She enjoys giving back to her community, creating art and designing and building projects.
When Duncan found out he had scored a 36, he was at a friend’s house. He said it was “a great moment.”
“Oh, it was amazing. It was the first thing I saw when I woke up, and that made the morning, made the week. It’s been great since then,” he said. “I was actually at my friend’s house at the time. I gave out this little yell; he came to see what happened, and I shared the news.”
Though he says the reaction from his parents was even sweeter.
“(They are) probably even more happy than I was. They were excited for the fact that it happened and I got the score, but they were also more excited for what it meant for college in the future and what I can do with it,” Duncan said.
Duncan — who, like his classmates, took the test twice — also plans to go into a science-related career. Nuclear engineering has piqued his interest, though he is unsure about what school he will attend post-graduation.
“I’m still applying, but likely somewhere around the East Coast,” Duncan said. “I’m going for a ROTC scholarship, so that’ll probably take up some time as well.”
At Lindbergh, Duncan is involved in varsity swimming and water polo and is a member in multiple Honor Societies and clubs — including NHS, Rho Kappa, Math Honor Society and Linguistics Club. He is also a long-time Eagle Scout.
