An Iberia Parish student was acknowledged by the school board after scoring a perfect 36 on the ACT exam. 

Patra Liamkeo, a junior at New Iberia Senior High, said she spent her entire Mardi Gras break preparing for the ACT, and the fruits of her effort led to not missing a single question when she took the exam earlier this year. 

Superintendent of Schools Heath Hulin called Patra one of Iberia Parish’s outstanding students. 

“Since she was young, she has always enjoyed learning and with the support of her family and friends she has tried to excel,” Hulin said. 

Patra is the daughter of Phet and Davone Liamkeo, who all reside in New Iberia. Apart from her studies, Patra is part of the Gifted and Talented Program, Beta Club, National Honors Society and student government. 

Her extracurricular activities include participating in NISH’s band and tennis team. Despite her busy schedule, Patra strives for academic excellence despite her busy schedule. 

Although her college plans aren’t locked in yet, Patra does plan to attend college after high school to pursue a degree in engineering. 

A perfect ACT score is incredibly rare nationwide, let alone Iberia Parish. For example, analysts found that in 2024 there were 5,579 students across the country who managed a score of 36 nationwide, which is about .33% of test takers. 

Patra was awarded a certificate by the school board, and her proud father was also present as the honor was given Wednesday night.