Forty seventh graders enrolled in Effingham County schools recently took the SAT as part of Duke University’s Talent Identification Program. Seven of these students qualified for State Recognition, meaning they scored in the top 30 percent of the Talent Search pool.

These academically talented students are Chandler Hickman, Madison Johnson and Courtney Lane from Ebenezer Middle School, and Seth Penny, Donald Quinones, Jordan Stroud and Savannah Wagner from South Effingham Middle School.

According to Duke University, being recognized for scoring in the top 30 percent of seventh graders from 16 different states is a significant achievement because the pool itself is highly selective and the scores are ones that many high school students aspire to achieve.