Oak Harbor High School honored its Academic Letter winners Thursday with a ceremony in the new Student Union Building.

This year, over 180 teens earned a letter, and 82 were given a 4.0 Highest Honor Pin. The ceremony recognizes students who earn a cumulative 3.5 grade point average or higher for two consecutive semesters.

Sophomore Elissa Scott said the work was challenging, but she’s proud to have earned her first academic letter this year. In grade school, Scott went from attending summer school to joining the National Junior Honors Society in 7th grade.

“I’ve always tried really hard,” she said.

In high school, Scott sometimes studied until midnight to get ahead in her classes.

“We would need to tell her, ‘Stop, go to bed,’” father Clint Noland said.

“We are very proud. She has come a long way,” her mother Alice Noland added.

The auditorium was crowded with excited families who were there to watch as the students filed down to the stage to accept their awards. The keynote speaker was Capt. John Worthington, who retired from the U.S. Navy and currently teaches science at North Whidbey Middle School.

He advised the young overachievers to do what is right, rather than what is popular, as they make decisions throughout their lives.

Sophomore Sara Anderson said the hard work now is making a difference for her future. She hopes to study medicine at the University of Washington.

“I want a lot of scholarships to pay off my loans. My older sister had to do that,” she said.

Anderson said that to get ahead, it’s important to put school first, “even though friends seem more important right now.”

Class of 2012

Joyce Abides, Elyse Anderson*, Sara Anderson, Keriann-Ashley Chase, Emily Bain*, Andres Bautista, Eric Berner**, Jessica Bruns, Sasha Bolander-Marvidikis, Jasmine Case-Smith, Jessica Cathey, Ellizabeth Chase*, Jason Churchill, Gabriel Clark*, Tyler Collins, Heather Dale*, Solleanne-Lei Empinado*, Krisanta Filoteo, Peter Franssen*, Jennifer Fremd, Olivia Gac, Thomas Honeycutt, Corey Houck, Ciara Hu**, Emily Hunt, Dominique Jackson*, Mitchell Jackson, Jacob Jepson, Kari Jerde**, Angela Johnson, Kelsey Johnson, Aimee Kelly, Bryce Lockner, Tucker Lundstrom**, Cody McGinnis, Danielle Magdalera, Chelsey McKenzie, Maura McKole, Joshua McVey*, Connor Meyer, Benjamin Muyres, Christopher Opdyke, Chloe Peterschmidt*, Jaden Ruff*, Kristen Sheils*, Mikaela Stahl, Brandon Stratton, Jessica Taylor, Luke Ullrich, Molly Van Dam, Jacqueline Villanueva, Taylor Von Grey, Michael Washington*

Class of 2011

Clarissa Abadesco*, Brandy Allain*, Samantha Amezquita*, Zoe Bakker**, Chelsey Banks, Garrett Barker, Lauren Bates, Robert Beadles, Adrienne Beebe**, Stephanie Bigalow*, Kristine Bouchard, Katelyn Bristow**, David Bunch, Ashley Burnette, Benjamin Cardinal, Sydney Carlson*, Chelsea Carr, Mara Cortez*, Mark Coutee**, Ethan Deboard*, Andrew Christopher Deleon, Allison Duvenez*, Charise Espiritu, Jordan Faralan*, Erica Flores**, Jessica Foster, Martin Garcia*, Chance Gill, Millie Goebel, Kristopher Gomes, Holly Hernandez, Krista Holloman**, Price Hu**, Jacob Hummel*, Jayme Hunt, Racheal Jappert, Adrian Jimenez, Shelia Keyes*, Eric Larce, Larajean Lauzen, Abigail Leete**, Marshall Lewis, Denzel Massey*, Kaleb McConaghy, Tori McCool, McKenzie McCormack, Nicole McKenzie, Christine Medina, Melanie Meyer, Rianna Montross, Lily Anne Mosolino, Matthew Murdock, Daniel Nesser*, Victoria Nickerson, Morgan Nielsen, Paige Nienhuis**, Rebecca Ogren, Sasha Olson**, Kalliopi Pantoleon*, Connor Paul, Trace Paul, Tyler Peterson, Janessa Ramos, Jasmine Reyes, Jazlen Rice*, Matthew Rice, Trixie-Anne Santos* Devin Schell*, Tyler Schell**, Kyle Schroeder, Marvyn-Dale Sionson, Gabriel Slais, Maric Sobreo**, Sarah Sonnenfeld, Jay Stout, Victor Stricklin, David Tillotson, Kelli Travenetti, Shannon Wold, Samuel Wolf**, Geoffrey Worley

Class of 2010

Marcos Anjos, Joel Atienza, Nadija Beronilla, Matthew Bolte, Brandie Bryan, Ashley Byram*, Stephanie Campbell, Kayla Carsten**, Brieann Charlesworth, Austin Church**, Sheena Corey, Jeshaiah Davis, Molly Deleon, Carlo Dimaculangan, Shaina Estadilla*, Arjayne Evangelista*, Rebecca Ferguson, Jonah Fernandez, Ku’ulei Gomes, Maggie Gorman, Nishia Guerrero, Kathryn Hale, Simone Hamilton, Joshua Higbee*, Patrick Higbee, Kira Homola, Austin Humphries, Meijiao Jaehning*, Jessica James, Nicholas Jensen, Mariah Koontz, Denise Lagua, Clarence Lamont, Derrek Lockner, Ariel McCarter**, Megan McClaskey, Clay Mosolino**, Nicole Mowbray, Eric Neilon**, Ceajae Noe, Brandon Oppenheim, Joshua Oppor, Jordan Otruba, Javon Payne, David Peterson, Ashia Radke, Karina Reddy**, Meghan Rikard, Katelyn Schneider**, Madison Shipley*, Elizabeth Silvera*, Marissa Skaar, Adam Smith*, Vanessa Soliman, Ver Andrew Starr, Karalie Stratton, Brandon Strickland, Dylan Thomas, Justin Tracy, Nathan Young