Student Achievement: Jireh Holder

NCTE HONORS HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WITH EXCELLENT WRITING TALENT

October 2007
Central high School Student: Jireh Holder

This month, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) honors 595 high school seniors as outstanding writers in the 2007 NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing. The recipients were chosen from 1,937 students nominated in their junior year by their teachers, from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Canada, and American schools abroad.

The Achievement Awards in Writing program was established in 1957 to encourage high school students in their writing and to recognize publicly some of the best student writers in the nation. The writing excellence is based on students' samples of their own best prose or verse and on impromptu themes that are written under supervision. A team of English teachers chosen from throughout the students' home state judges the writing, looking especially for writing that demonstrates effective and imaginative use of language to inform and move an audience. Winners are announced every October.

Winning students and their schools receive certificates recognizing their accomplishment and the names of the students and their schools are posted on the NCTE website. Students also receive cards highlighting their achievement to attach to their college application forms. Chief State School Officers and members of Congress are sent letters notifying them of the accomplishment of the students and schools in their states.

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) awarded Memphis Central High School with a certificate commending excellence in its instructional program, as well as, high quality writing by its students.

See Jireh Holder's name listed on the NCTE Website. Click Here

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English & Literature
Academic All-Star

Jireh, a senior, is a top student, who has excelled in Advanced Placement English Language and Composition. He can be counted on to lead class discussions and has proven to be a critical listener. He easily makes connections between contemporary issues and great literature. His essay writing leads the class in clarity and facility in the use of language.

As a junior, he was selected as a winner for the 2007 NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing. He also received the Memphis City Schools William H. Sweet Award for Academic Excellence. Jireh often finds himself thrust into leadership positions not only because of his gregarious, fun-loving nature, but also because he befriends students of various racial and economic backgrounds. He is captain of the school's swim team and a member of the award-winning Central High School Concert Choir.

Jireh is a member of the National Honor Society and holds a 4.0 weighted grade point average. He is an accomplished poet and placed second in the 2006 ACT-SO Competition-Poetry Division. Away from school, Jireh is a member of his church's Youth Leadership Board, a member of Bridge Builders and president of the Memphis Chapter of Youth About Business.