(Photo by August Jennewein)

Hundreds of proud parents and teachers recently came to the University of Missouri–St. Louis to honor a record 62 high school juniors at the annual Distinguished Achievement Awards for Science Excellence. The UMSL College of Arts and Sciences presents the awards.

The students, pictured with their awards in the Student Government Chamber, were chosen by high schools for their academic achievement and outstanding capabilities in science. They attend public, private and parochial schools in the St. Louis region.

The students received their awards at a dinner hosted by the college earlier this month, which included a keynote address by Zoe Peterson, associate professor of psychological sciences at UMSL, a performance by UMSL Jazz Combo with Chancellor Tom George on piano and a reading by UMSL Poet Laureate Christopher Alex Chablé.