Preparing individuals for college and career success is no small task – and it’s never been more important. This is why ACT is recognizing individuals who are making a positive impact on their communities through their efforts to advance college and career readiness.

The ACT College and Career Readiness Champions are individuals across the country who support ACT’s mission of education and workplace success. They are high school seniors, K-12, postsecondary, and workforce professionals, who have demonstrated exemplary behavior and contributions in support of college and career readiness in their respective communities. Check out the Champion criteria here, and learn more below from our five District Managers who support ACT State Organizations for the U.S.

Savanah Schott

District Manager for the Northwest

(Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming)

Tim Osborn

District Manager for the Midwest

(Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin)

Rose Babington

District Manager for the Northeast

(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, D.C., Delaware, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia)

Mike DiNicola

District Manager for the Southwest

(Arkansas, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)

Bobby Rush

District Manager for the Southeast

(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia)



Check out our Twitter thread to join the conversation and take a look at the names of this year's Champions below.

Congratulations, Champions!

High School Seniors

Brianna Evans (Alabama)
Halie Shangin (Alaska)
Kailee Bunte (Arizona)
Madison Wood (Arkansas)
Leslie Sepulveda Ochoa (California)
Parker Beastrom (Colorado)
Lisa Enaye (Connecticut)
Brooke Wallace (Delaware)
Ghyslain Velazquez (Florida)
Cynthia Trusty (Georgia)
Arren Leung (Hawaii)
Kenneth Miller (Idaho)
Juan Pablo Gomez-Postigo (Illinois)
Daysha Copeland (Indiana)
Claire Wilder (Iowa)
Lacey Gregory (Kansas)
Jared Christian (Kentucky)
Ra'Janae Morris (Louisiana)
Anisah McEwan (Maine)
Jalaysia Weems (Maryland)
Rebecca McCue (Massachusetts)
Reem Aburukba (Michigan)
Summer Schwintek (Minnesota)
Sidney Brown (Mississippi)
Diana Red de la Cruz (Missouri)
Megan Bryant (Montana)
Dorothy Nolan (Nebraska)
Taylor Scrutchen (Nevada)
Meredith Gauthier (New Hampshire)
Anthony Avila (New Jersey)
Natalia Baca (New Mexico)
Winnie Lu (New York)
Tyler Osborne (North Carolina)
Mohamed Hamza (North Dakota)
Aversa Prentosito (Ohio)
Camry Smith (Oklahoma)
Carrington Nguyen (Oregon)
Kira Hudson (Pennsylvania)
Noam Makover (Rhode Island)
Justis Daniels-Bezout (South Carolina)
Ruhama Tereda (South Dakota)
Ezera Henson (Tennessee)
Yewon Yang (Texas)
Jakob Barrus (Utah)
Kathleen Dang (Virginia)
Estefany Herrera (Washington)
Benjamin Kennett (West Virginia)
Yuanqi Cai (Wisconsin)
Zoe Williams (Wyoming)

K-12 Professionals

Jeff Hyche (Alabama) Kathy Moffitt (Alaska)
Jane Geary (Arizona)
Phyllis Dickey (Arkansas)
Carlos Hernandez (California)
Katherine Flecksing (Colorado)
Elizabeth Lewtan (Connecticut)
Dr. Ruth T. Logan (D.C.)
David E. Cochrane (Florida)
Delisha Hodo (Georgia)
Derek Inouye (Hawaii)
Scott Tyson (Idaho)
Christopher Chiakulas (Illinois)
Travis E. Hueston (Indiana)
Mary Johnson (Iowa)
Jina Kugler (Kansas)
Toni Danita Ellis (Kentucky)
Tracy Elliott Zeringue (Louisiana)
Amber Griffin (Maryland)
Albert Mercado (Massachusetts)
Kelly Fink (Michigan)
Patrick Walsh (Minnesota)
Larry Perdue (Mississippi)
Adam Rouse (Missouri)
Keri Sansaver (Montana)
Michelle Klug (Nebraska)
Sean Abid (Nevada)
Dana Lambert (New Jersey)
Sandra Aaron (New Mexico)
Joseph Greco (New York)
Dr. Colin Kelly Batten Jr. (North Carolina)
Janae Gravesen (North Dakota)
Erin Hibbitt (Ohio)
Dakota Thompson (Oklahoma)
Salvatore Cassaro (Oregon)
Kathleen MacConnell (Pennsylvania)
Vertoria Anderson (South Carolina)
Morgan VonHaden (South Dakota)
Dr. Bruce Borchers (Tennessee)
Alma Guadalupe Luna (Texas)
Melanie Moffat (Utah)
Martha Santa Maria (Vermont)
Christopher Lennon (Virginia)
Katherine Playford (Washington)
Matthew Tolliver (West Virginia)
Sara Greenwood (Wisconsin)
Ryan Olson (Wyoming)

Postsecondary Professionals

Alexandria Croom (Alabama)
Lynda Hernandez (Alaska)
Lissa Gallegos (Arizona)
Ashley Buchman (Arkansas)
Gethzemani Hammond (Colorado)
Adam Porro (Florida)
Descatur "Des" Potier (Georgia)
Sheldon Tawata (Hawaii)
Dr. Kristine M. Condon (Illinois)
Zebadiah Hall (Indiana)
Christopher D. Peterson (Iowa)
Angie Pellegtrin (Louisiana)
Eric Chapman (Maine)
Lisa Rodrigues (Massachusetts)
Samantha Speeg (Mississippi)
Terrell Tigner (Missouri)
Donna D. Neeman (Nebraska)
Guadalupe Ramirez (Nevada)
Jan Coville (New Hampshire)
Rose Pena (New Mexico)
Christopher Cofer (New York)
Susan Barbitta (North Carolina)
Carmen Melissa Juarez (Oklahoma)
Adrienne Enriquez (Oregon)
Kimberly Taylor-Benns (Pennsylvania)
Jesse Herrera (South Dakota)
Carlette Hardin (Tennessee)
Jael Garcia (Texas)
Miles Hunter (Virginia)
Sebastian Myrick (Washington)

Workforce Professionals 

Denny Smith (Alabama)

Meg Day (Alaska)

Ruby Morgan (California)

Jesse Ray (Connecticut)

Nicole Brown (Delaware)

Carlos A. Manrique (Florida)

James Wilburn, Ed.D (Georgia)

Tracey Faulkner (Kansas)

Greater Owensboro FAME Chapter (Kentucky)

Felicia Young (Louisiana)

Christine Turnbow (Michigan)

Cary Karlson (Mississippi)

Shelley D. Penn (Missouri)

Nikki Dixon-Foley (Montana)

Milagros Ramos (New Jersey)

Marcos Martinez (New Mexico)

Natasha Dasani (New York)

Jody Blackwell (North Carolina)

Chris Jones (Ohio)

Rhonda Mize (Oklahoma)

Aurora King (Oregon)

Krista Deguffroy (Pennsylvania)

Doris Ann Mertz (South Dakota)

Tony Cates (Tennessee)

Karen Nichols (Wisconsin)

Media Kits

Help us spread the word by sharing these stories in your communities. Check out the media kits for each champion category below to help tell the story of the amazing work being done in your state.

• High School Seniors
• K-12 Professionals
• Postsecondary Professionals
• Workforce Professionals

About ACT

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa, ACT is trusted as a leader in college and career readiness, providing high-quality assessments grounded in nearly 60 years of research. ACT offers a uniquely integrated set of solutions designed to provide personalized insights that help individuals succeed from elementary school through career.