Talk about bright futures.

The Pike County Chamber of Commerce Education Committee hosted its annual PRAISE banquet on Thursday, honoring each high schools’ top scorers on the ACT test. The group was once again impressive.

These young men and women are consistently an exceptional group of students. They are bright; articulate; some are athletic and some are artistic; they are driven leaders and driven to succeed; and most important, they have a vision for their future. They are shining examples of the best our educational systems have to offer, along with the rewards of parenting and good, old-fashioned studying and hard work.

And while tests aren’t the only measure of a student’s success, we – like the Chamber Education Committee – recognize that outstanding achievement on the ACT college admission test deserves recognition. These youngsters certainly were worthy of that recognition. So we join in saluting Jeb Sharp from Charles Hendrerson High School, Shayla Terry of Pike County High School, Joshua Richards of Goshen High School and Kelly Cash of Pike Liberal Arts School. And, of course, a special honor goes to Sharp, who won the PRAISE scholarship with the highest ACT score in the county.

We hope that their efforts, and the recognition provided by the Chamber committee and all the sponsors and supporters of the scholarship, will encourage other youngsters to continue to strive to excel in their scholastic efforts.

It’s certainly a goal that is PRAISE-worthy.