TIFTON — Members of the Tift County Schools Board of Education recognized a pair of students for their outstanding work during its recent meeting.

Board members congratulated Olivia Davis and Bill Nguyen for going above and beyond in their academics, both within their own schools and beyond, Oct. 10.

Tift County Schools chief information officer Dana Spurlin reported that Davis, an Eighth Street Middle School student, had excelled at the Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Conference held earlier this year.

Davis had placed second in the Career Research division of the conference, surpassing students from all over the country with her presentation.

Nguyen received high marks for the healthcare curriculum he had developed and proposed be implemented at Tift County’s elementary schools, specifically for fourth grade students.

Spurlin explained that Nguyen had formed the idea for the program over the summer, taking the initiative to present it to school superintendent Natalie Gore himself.

From there, Gore helped Nguyen get in contact with Hope Vance, organizer of Tift County High School’s early childhood education pathway, and Maegan Story, advisor for HOSA – Future Health Professionals, to further develop his idea and pitch the program to the school system’s elementary schools, starting with JT Reddick.

Spurlin expressed her admiration for Nguyen’s thoughtfulness and ingenuity, dubbing him the “embodiment of college and career readiness” and optimistic in regards to his future.

“How many high school students do you know that would spend their summer dreaming up a curriculum for elementary students?” Spurlin said. “Bill is one to keep an eye on — we only hope whatever healthcare field he decides to go into that when he finishes, he comes back to give even more to the Tift County community.”

Both students were presented with honorary certificates congratulating them on their hard work, with Nguyen receiving a Beyond the T Award for his initiative.