Fifteen HCS students were named National Merit Scholarship winners
Twenty-six members of the HCS class of 2026 were named National Merit Semifinalists.
Guoxin Zhong, a 2025 graduate from HCS Scholars Academy High School, won the National Trig-Star Competition.
Fabian Lala (Myrtle Beach High class of 2025) was one of 161 students recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholar for accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields.
For the second year in a row, Socastee Middle’s Connor Norton won the Pee Dee Regional Spelling Bee, earning him a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, where he made it to the quarterfinals.
AAST’s Anna Maroz was one of 402 finalists for the 2025 National STEM Competition, only four of whom were from SC.
Tyler Zehfuss of Carolina Forest High and Siena Trentini of Scholars Academy High were among only eight chosen to represent the SC Wing of the Civil Air Patrol at National Legislative Day in Washington, D.C.
AAST’s team won at the 2025 AviCom, an annual state aviation competition designed to recognize those who are most likely to be successful, safe, and proficient aviation professionals.
Socastee High’s theatre company won the SC Theatre Association’s Studio Series competition and the Overall Best Ensemble Award. Justin Rivera also won the Best Actor award, and three team members won All-Star Cast awards.
AAST’s Plant the Moon Challenge team won the Best in Innovation award, one of only four awards given to South Carolina high school teams in the national competition.
Myrtle Beach High’s theatre company won the SC Theatre Association’s One Act Play competition with their production of "The Ninth Train," and three individual members of their team won All-Star Cast awards.
Five of the top 10 READCamp readers in the world this year were HCS students, including the top three: Ocean Bay Elementary’s Emma Coutore, Ocean Drive Elementary’s Liesyl Lamos, and Waterway Elementary’s Ansley Knopp.
HCS students earned several prestigious awards with their National History Day Competition entries: North Myrtle Beach High’s Mason Mettler and James Uzun won the Colonial Dames Award for Outstanding Entry on Colonial History with their group performance; Soyul Lee of Ten Oaks Middle won the junior-level award from the Society of Mayflower Descendants in SC for her individual documentary; Early College High’s Kevin Moseley, Genell Moyd, and Alexia Stathes won the senior-level award from the Society of Mayflower Descendants in SC with their group exhibit; and Black Water Middle’s Marianna Griffis and Jocelyn Molina Montiel won the African American History Award for their project.
North Myrtle Beach High School’s Varsity Theater Team participated in the Palmetto Dramatic Association’s High School Festival and brought home several awards and recognitions both for individual team members and for the team’s performance of “Pellets, Cherries, and Lies.”
Forty-four outstanding elementary students from HCS were selected to perform in the SC Music Educators Association’s Elementary Honors Choir in Columbia, SC.
Twelve middle and high school students were selected for the SC Music Educators Association’s All-State Orchestra.
Eleven talented students from across our school district represented us proudly in the American Choral Directors Association's National Honor Choirs.
