Janagan Ramanathan, son of Vasugi and Gajen Ramanathan, and a junior at Sartell High School, earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. On average, only around one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, each scored on a scale of 1–36. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores.
“Janagan is a remarkable young man who is involved in academic, athletic, leadership and civic activities. I am very proud of his achievement,” said Sartell High School Principal Brenda Steve.

Janagan Ramanathan
Brandon Nordhues, choral director at Sartell High School, has been named Outstanding Young Choral Director from the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota. Nordhues will be honored at the annual ACDA-MN State Conference Award Luncheon on Nov. 17 at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, the site of the annual conference.
Nordhues was nominated by ACDA-MN member André Heywood, himself a recipient of the award in 2013, and current artistic director for The St. John’s Boys’ Choir, and colleague of Nordhues in the St. John’s program.
The award program was first established in 1988, and has recognized 26 individuals for their outstanding contributions, noteworthy servant leadership, and promotion of choral music within their communities and throughout the state of Minnesota.

Brandon Nordhues
Tiana Wood of Sartell has been named to the spring semester dean’s list at the University of Minnesota-Morris. Student must achieve a minimum 3.67 grade-point average to earn this honor.
Three Sartell students recently received scholarships from the Central Minnesota Community Foundation in conjunction with CommunityGiving.
The students are: Kayleen Martins, $1,000 from the Julie Ann Hanson Scholarship Fund; Tianna Raden, $2,000 from the Evelyn Lenander Scholarship Fund; and Rachel Taszarek $1,000 from the Julie Ann Hanson Scholarship Fund.
The foundation awarded $168,600 in academic scholarships for the coming school year to 101 students.