ATLANTA--Gustavo A. Suarez, a senior at St. Pius X High School, was one of eight students in the state recognized for academic excellence in the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Program.

The students were honored at a recognition luncheon by the Southern Regional Assembly of the College Board Feb. 15 at the Omni.

Suarez, who is taking AP courses in calculus BC, English literature, European history, government, macroeconomics and U.S. history, was asked during the luncheon to explain "What AP Means To Me."

"To me the Advanced Placement Program is one of the most positive and worthwhile experiences one can receive in high school," Suarez said. "It not only more than adequately prepares a student for the rigorous life of college classes, but also gives a solid formation on which to base a college education."

Suarez said that while the program requires dedication and responsibility, it allows students to reach out and learn as much as they want because for them the sky is the limit. "No longer are we students just sitting at desks in a classroom, we are now voyagers on a journey," he said. "Whether it be in a study group or in the classroom, AP students have not only learned about reading, writing and arithmetic, they have also learned some very important life skills, and to me that is the most important thing."

Suarez has been named a National Hispanic Scholar, a National Merit Commended Scholar and a Furman Scholar. He was the recipient of the Notre Dame Achievement Award and has been on the principal's list each semester since his freshman year at St. Pius.