Wake County academic athlete aces ACT

"I was just so ecstatic," said Wake Forest-Rolesville High School junior Hannah Moyles. "I was like, 'Yeah, I knew I was going to get it.'"

Moyles was one of 10 students in Wake County, 10 in Chapel Hill and one in Fayetteville who earned a 36 on the ACT, the highest score possible. The nine other perfect scorers came from across the state.

An ACT representative said it does not release the names of test takers, but they are free to speak publicly on their own.

Hitting that mark became Moyles' goal after she came up one point shy the year before. "This time, I was like, 'OK, shoot for the 36,'" she said.

"It shows that she's a student who's constantly looking to better herself," her English teacher, Vicki Crouse, said.

Moyles is gunning to do the same on the SAT. She got a 2260 out of a possible 2400 last time and wants to take the test again.

In high school, she's a straight-A student with a weighted GPA of 5.1 and takes Advanced Placement courses in English, Spanish, history and physics.

Moyles' efforts to better herself don't stop in the classroom.

She has started her own charity that collects knitted blankets, scarves and hats for the less fortunate and launched a book drive with the Women's Club of Wake Forest. The group gives away children's books at laundromats around the town.

Looking ahead to college, Moyles will likely have her pick of schools. She's eyeing North Carolina State University.

"I want to study genetics, because right now, I work at State in the genetics lab," she said.

Moyles' teachers predicted success for her wherever she goes.

"I'm not worried about she'll do," Crouse said, "because in college, she's going to be that kid who's good at time management, that's good at doing additional research she needs to do."