Thirty-eight eighth-graders from Fort Dodge Middle School will receive the Presidential Academic Excellence Award for outstanding academic achievement.

The academic honors awards program will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Fort Dodge Middle School auditorium.

This year’s guest speaker is Molly Nelson, Fort Dodge Senior High graduate and director of the Fort Dodge Community Schools Foundation. A reception will follow the ceremony. This is the 25th year FDMS students have been recognized with this honor.

Criteria for the Presidential Academic Excellence Award are a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher through seventh and eighth grades and a math or reading comprehension score in the 85th percentile or above on the 2017 Iowa Assessment Tests.

If a student scores in the 85th percentile or higher in both math and reading comprehension, they are eligible for the award regardless of GPA.

This year’s eighth-grade students receiving the award include: Jalen Adams, Keaton Adams, Claire Asay, Toryn Bennett, Triston Bockoven, Caleb Caldwell, Victor Calles, Drake Callon, MaKenzi Charlson, Jaren Christy, Kylie Crimmins, Hannah Drummond, Katelynn Elsberry, Matthias Hippen, Connor Holzhauer, Aja Jallow, Matthew Jass, Taylor Johnson, Jordan Lennon, Cael Mason, Wyatt Merseal-McBroom, Christian Miller, Jada Montgomery, Kiersten Myers, Carson Peterson, Tjaden Pettit-Johnston, Aidan Porter, Mallory Ramirez, Kylie Reed, Rylie Reed, Gavin Schillerstrom, Alivia Underberg, Kord Utley, Luke Vaughan, Noah Vinsand, Ellie White, Kolby Wilson and Alizeah Wood.

“The Presidential Academic Awards program at Fort Dodge Middle School is a proud and ongoing tradition that is a testimony to the efforts of this select group of students,” stated Marni Moody, eighth-grade school counselor at Fort Dodge Middle School. “The students who are presented this award have set an example for their peers showing what can be achieved with hard work and commitment. We are proud to acknowledge their dedication to outstanding academic achievement.”