Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By MACKENZEE SIMMS | Staff Writer

NORTH SHELBY – Armed with her calculator and her older brother’s words of advice, Oak Mountain High School freshman Margaret “Maggie” Rodgers walked into the ACT test in February and emerged with a perfect score of 36.

Despite being just a freshman, this was Maggie’s second time taking the ACT. She took her first ACT last summer and scored a 34, but after doing some ACT prep in school and taking a practice exam, Maggie was ready to try again.

It was her father, Brian Rodgers, who got the email that Maggie’s scores were ready to be viewed. Maggie shared that she wasn’t worried for the test itself, but was worried to see scores.

“When I took the test, it didn’t seem like I got a 36—I felt like I maybe got like a 33,” Maggie said. “But then when I found out I did (score a 36), I told my brother because he’s the one who wanted me to take it in first place.”

According to her father, Maggie’s brother, Jack Rodgers, a sophomore at Birmingham Southern, has been encouraging her to take the ACT as early as possible.

“He always likes to mentor his younger sisters and encourage them to always do their best,” Brian said. “He was really proud when she got that 36.”

But perhaps the most proud of all, Maggie’s parents, Brian and Holly, are thrilled to see their daughter succeed.

“Maggie has always been a diligent and motivated student, and her perfect score on the ACT is a testament to her intelligence and dedication,” Brian said. “We are grateful for the support she has received from her teachers and the entire Oak Mountain school community.”

For reference, the ACT reports that the national average composite score is 19.9 based on the scores of high school graduates from 2021, 2022 and 2023. The average national ACT score has been on the decline since COVID-19.