Steve Moyer/Daily Mail-- Ruth Prewitt has been selected as one of 330 Missouri sophomores slated for Missouri Scholars Academy in June. Prewitt said she was excited about the trip and hoped to study chemistry and Middle Eastern history.

Ruth Prewitt, daughter of Wayne and Teresa Prewitt, Walker, has been accepted into a summer program at the University of Missouri-Columbia's Missouri Scholars Academy. The academy is an intensive three-week program offering a variety of courses for students to take. Only 330 of Missouri's best students participate in the program per year.

Each public school district and private school in Missouri is eligible to nominate at least one sophomore student for the Academy. Larger schools have the option of nominating more than one student on a prorated basis according to enrollment, Nevada can nominate two.

Prewitt said she is excited about the prospect of attending and has chosen which courses she wants to concentrate on.

"I chose chemistry, Mid East history and writing," Prewitt said. "You have to write several essays for the writing class."

Prewitt's mother is proud of her daughter's accomplishments and said she and her husband encouraged participation.

"We're happy she's been chosen," Teresa said. "Her brother went to the Joseph Baldwin Academy at Truman State but you had to pay to go to that. The Scholars Academy is all paid for."

Tina Sudkamp, Nevada High School Action Instructor, said that it was an honor to be chose and that not all nominees get to go.

"The students have to be nominated by the schools and have to go through another process before being chosen," Sudkamp said. "Sometimes both our nominees go, sometimes one and sometimes no one goes."

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Sudkamp said it was a taste of college for the high school sophomores.

"It's a lot like a college environment," Sudkamp said. "The students have lists of courses they can choose from."

Funds to support the Missouri Scholars Academy are appropriated by the Missouri Legislature following State Board of Education recommendations. The State Board of Education is responsible for setting policies of the academy. Now in its twenty-third year, the program is administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in cooperation with University of Missouri officials.