Roanoke City Public Schools recently held its ninth annual Scholars' Dinner, a banquet for students who excelled beyond academic standards set by the city school system.

A group of more than 40 students crowded into a hotel dining room March 13 with their parents and a teacher who they said inspired them during their 12-year track through school.

In order to qualify, students were required to either maintain a 4.0 grade point average or higher, be in the top 5 percent of their graduating class at William Fleming or Patrick Henry high schools, earn an SAT total score of 1875 or 700 on one test, have an ACT score of at least 28 or have perfect attendance with a minimum of a 3.5 GPA.

Students had the opportunity to bring their parents to the banquet and award their most influential Roanoke City school educator with a plaque.

Senior Carmen Cotton of Fleming sat with her mother and former English teacher Amy Pugh, who Carmen said was her favorite teacher.

Carmen, an International Baccalaureate student with a 3.85 GPA, said she remembers becoming academically competitive in elementary school, and her studying has become a pattern since early childhood.

"People say I have an old soul," she said as her mother, Joyce Cotton, nodded. "I've always been that way."

Joyce Cotton said she always set the high bar for achievement for Carmen and her achievement wasn't a surprise -- it was expected.

Roanoke Superintendent Rita Bishop hosted the event. She said the annual dinner highlights the achievement for the students, but also parents and teachers who go to extremes to serve the students well.

"The most important thing in a child's life is another caring adult in their life," Bishop said to the crowd. She acknowledged each student by name and showed the crowd the plaques awarded to their favorite teachers.

"It's not an Oscar," she said jokingly to the crowd of students, their parents and faculty. "It probably won't melt down, but it's more important than an Oscar."

PH senior Matt Kilgus gave his plaque to his mother, Becky Kilgus, a choir teacher at Woodrow Wilson Middle.

"She's always been there for me," he said. "And she's a Roanoke city employee."

Matt, who plans to attend King College in Bristol, Tenn., said academics were always a priority. He acknowledged his father, Mark Kilgus, as another influence for him to strive for a high GPA and in athletics.

Matt transferred to PH in the fall after his father was appointed to help establish Carilion's medical school. Balancing social life with academics was a challenge, he said, but his main priority remained on scholastics.

"I focus on my studies because that's what I'll take with me for the rest of my life," Matt said.

Bishop said that in upcoming years, the city will focus on strengthening students academically in their elementary years. Schools will increase programs including SAT prep courses that focus on improving academics, she said, and maintaining high levels of success throughout each student's career. In the future, she said, she wants to see an increase in the number of students at the banquet.