AP Honors Achievement for WG

Walnut Grove High School has been recognized for the 2025 best AP honors classes and exams in five categories by the Georgia DOE. 
by Tristan Banks and Addison Butler

We are beyond thrilled to be announced that Walnut Grove High School has been recognized by the State School Superintendent Richard Woods and the Georgia Department of Education as 2025 (AP). Also thanks to all of the amazing teachers for teaching our students to be great.

• AP Stem School (schools that administered at least five (5) exams in each of four separate AP STEM courses (Math, Science, and Computer Science).
• AP STEM Achievement School (AP STEM schools with at least 50% of all AP STEM exams earning scores of three (3) or higher).
• AP Expansion School (25% growth in participation from 2023 to 2024).
• AP Humanities School ( schools that administered at least five (5) exams in each of the following AP categories: one (1) ELA course, two (2) social studies courses, one (1) fine arts course and one (1) world language course.
• AP Humanities Achievement  (AP Humanities schools with at least 50% of all AP Humanities exams earning scores of three (3) or higher).

Maria De La Rosa 
The Assistant Principal here at WGHS is the Head Coordinator of the AP program and the classes/exams. De La Rosa says, “AP honors is a honor that's given by the state it is based on the last year scores, so 8 categories we got nominated for 5 of them and each one is different... For example the one that we got, we were really proud of. When we got 25% growth from the previous year so the AP group grew 25% out of the total.”

Mrs. De la Rosa explains how she really enjoys being one of the AP’s here at WGHS and the head coordinator, “I love it, I absolutely love it. I'm extremely passionate about growing the program in order to give students the opportunity to earn as many AP credits. Not only for college courses but also to introduce them to the rigor of college classes they will see in college. They'll be well prepared.” She also mentions, “I think it's beneficial because by taking the AP courses they take the rigor for the hope and the Zell scholarship umm which pays 100% or 80 tuition in college so it gives u that rigor to allow you to stay in your class rank if your interested but most importantly it has the ability to give you college credits, when you pass a test you put 3 or above. The main thing is they are in college level courses that will best prepare them for college.”

Mrs. De la Rosa states, “I hope that I'm impacting them by giving them the opportunity by growing the program, they have more options for the AP program classes that we didn't have before. 3 years ago before I came they only had like 8 AP classes. Now this upcoming year we are going to offer 20 different AP classes. So students that want to have that level and the rigor of courses have an option in every subject area which as before was very limited. So I'm hoping that I'm impacting them by giving them the opportunity to take the classes that they want.” She also says, “I think depending on what their education plans are, that's what I  would recommend to them to go to a big 4 year university like UGA or GA tech.”

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Hudson Smith
Hudson Smith is now a senior here at Walnut Grove. He talks about his AP classes and what classes he took for his Junior year. He says, “Last year I took AP physics and AP government and we did a lot of lab notes.” He enjoys his classes and he is proud of what choices he made for his classes he mentions, “I think it's a good challenge and I also get a lot of credits.” he also says, “Very fun and challenging.” Lastly he talks about why he was interested in taking AP classes he tells us, “Honestly money for college.”

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Caileigh Goldstein
Senior Caileigh Goldstein has had a wonderful experience taking AP classes here at Walnut Grove. She says, “Last year I took AP Bio, and it was a year long class, and we did a bunch of cool labs and hands-on activity... it was really just a great fun class.” Caileigh feels AP classes are a great way to set yourself up and be more prepared for college, “I feel like AP classes help prepare you for college by getting you one step closer to achieving your goals, so when you get to college, it's the overwhelming of living by yourself, not so much the school work.”  Caileigh Goldstein has been in honors classes her whole life, so she felt AP classes were the next step for her.  She says, “I've always been in the honors classes throughout school, like I was in gifted classes in elementary and middle school, so AP classes were just a chance for me to take more advanced classes... AP classes offer a lot more hands-on activities like for example on Friday in AP Lang, we are listening to music that relates  to books we are reading.” AP classes were a very useful and positive thing to help Caileigh's school and life.

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