Injee Hong, middle school Student of the Year for the Jefferson Parish Public School System, has been named one of 18 regional finalists who will compete for the state title of Student of the Year.
Hong, an eighth grader at Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies, is no stranger to the spotlight. She was named Louisiana’s Elementary Student of the Year as a fifth grader at Metairie Academy. Also that year, she was a finalist in the Doodle for Google Contest and won a trip to New York.
Last year, she was the big winner on Jeopardy Kid’s Week as she took home over $29,000. Hong blew away her competition in the final round when she was the only contestant to correctly answer the final Jeopardy question.
“Injee is a highly intelligent, well-rounded young lady who is also a leader on the Haynes campus,” said Jerome Helmstetter, principal of Haynes Academy. “She has a personality that is contagious and always has a big smile on her face. We are very proud that we have the type of environment at Haynes Academy that can provide Injee the opportunities to flourish.”
Hong and her fellow finalists were selected based on criteria that measure academic achievement, leadership skills, character, and service to their schools and communities. For the regional award, selection committees also used portfolios of accomplishments created by each student, along with student writing samples and interviews, to assess the communication and critical-thinking skills of each candidate. Prior to selecting the three state winners, the state selection committee will conduct interviews and review a writing sample from each of the regional finalists.
The finalists and state winners for each of the three grades will be honored on April 16 during a ceremony at the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge.