Submitted by

Beth Farrah, SMT Writer

Adrienne Burfield of the Poplar Bluff High School Class of 2013 has been awarded a $15,000 annually renewable scholarship in the University of Alabama - Birmingham Honors Program, where she plans to pursue her professional degree in medicine so she can enter the pediatric care field.

Burfield, who is only eighteen years old, will graduate high school with a total of 74 credit hours from Three Rivers College, having maintained a 4.0 GPA at the secondary and higher education institutions, respectively. In December, she was the first student to complete her associate degree requirements through College Now, a dual credit program between the community college and PBHS. On top of the necessary 62 credits, Burfield opted to continue to take college courses this spring semester.  She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.

She will continue to keep up the good work and has inspired many students to persevere and work hard on their academic curriculum. With the many graduations in the near future all over the nation, it is important to remember that having a plan is a good thing, but having the motivation to put the plan into action is even better. For all of the lowerclassmen that are not quite ready to walk across the stage and receive their diploma, Burfield’s amazing achievements should inspire them to continue to work hard and take advantage of their high school’s dual credit classes so they can be a step ahead after they graduate and move onto college.

We would like to wish Burflield and all of the other seniors preparing to graduate good luck to them and their bright futures!

Also pictured are: Burfield’s father Bill [left], a PBHS assistant principal, and Principal Mike Kiehne.