Seven Rockwood School District seniors were named to the 2026 Missouri Scholars 100, a statewide honor recognizing the top academic students in each graduating class. They're among several Rockwood seniors stacking up achievements this spring, including a Naval Academy appointment and an Eagle Scout honor.

The Rockwood honorees are Michael Charleston and Moriah Hayibor of Rockwood Summit, Michelle Chen and Suchir Ryali of Lafayette, Ellie Clark and Connor Flinn of Eureka, and Samantha Perz of Marquette. They'll be recognized at a luncheon May 3 in Columbia.

The Missouri Scholars 100 program, now in its 32nd year, is sponsored by the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals. Selection is based on a formula that weighs GPA and ACT or SAT scores, along with attendance, citizenship, and participation in school activities.

Perz, who is co-editor-in-chief of the Marquette Messenger student media outlet, plans to attend the University of Georgia Honors College as a double major in psychology and elementary education with a minor in dance. She's been a Rockwood student since kindergarten, advancing through Kehrs Mill Elementary and Crestview Middle.

"The opportunities that I've had are so incredible," Perz said. "I have friends who are very similar to me and also very different. That helps prepare you for the real world because that is what the world looks like."

Her mother, Carol, is a Rockwood teacher who was named Pond Elementary's Teacher of the Year in February.

At Lafayette High in Wildwood, senior Owen Waeckerle is headed to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, to study engineering with plans to become a naval aviator. A cadet in Lafayette's 81st Junior Air Force ROTC program, Waeckerle earned his private pilot's license last summer and has job-shadowed at an air traffic control center.

"I was drawn to this specific path because it not only provides a challenging academic pursuit, but also my character and leadership will be developed like no other institution," Waeckerle said. "Everyone will have my back, and I will reciprocate."

Also at Lafayette, senior Vedanth Chimakurthy earned the rank of Eagle Scout — the highest rank in Scouting. Chimakurthy began as a Cub Scout in kindergarten and crossed over to Boy Scouts in fourth grade. For his Eagle Scout service project, he designed and built an outdoor storage cabinet for his temple, creating a lasting resource for the community, according to the Rockwood School District.

His Scouting adventures included visiting the University of Missouri's nuclear research reactor, kayaking from Michigan into Canada, and paddling a Polynesian war canoe five miles in open seas off Key West during a Sea Base expedition.