Top Black High School Seniors - twenty-three academically gifted African American high school students are highlighted as they begin their college careers

NATASHA and SHEREE LEWIS are twin sisters with a dual commitment to academic excellence. The pair ranked within the top 5 percent of their senior class of 475 students at R.L. Paschal High School in Fort Worth, Texas. They are both listed in Who's Who Among American High School Students and are National Macy's and Tandy scholars. In high school, the sisters were members of the student council, National Honor Society, and they participated in track and basketball. The twins will attend Duke University and major in biology.

JENNIFER IMARA HAYES ranked third in her class at Metro Academic and Classical High School in St. Louis. Along with being recognized in Who's Who Among American High School Students, Hayes was a National Achievement finalist and won a Princeton Book Award. She participated in many high school activities, including the Spanish Club, National Honor Society and cross-country and soccer teams. She will attend Lincoln University in Missouri.

JEFFREY A. BLACK, a top graduate at West Charlotte Senior High School in Charlotte, N.C., was a National Macy's Scholar and an All-American Scholar. He won the Eagle Scout Award and received a Who's Who Among American High School Students multiple-year award. Black was a member of the National Honor Society, his church youth group and the varsity track team. He received more than $100,000 in scholarship offers. Black will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

With a 4.4 GPA, scholar-athlete JUSTIN FAUST ranked in the top 5 percent of his class at Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas. His variety of honors includes a National English Merit award, recognition as a Macy Scholar and membership in several honor societies. Faust was also a high school football star, being named to national and state lists of top players. This fall, he will attend Stanford University for its combination of academics and athletics.

KEYTESHIA GUY was valedictorian of A. Philip Randolph Campus High School at City College in New York City. The honor roll student won a New York State Regents Scholarship and a Founders Scholarship at Howard University, which she will attend this fall. Along with her academic achievements, including belonging to the National Honor Society, Guy was creative/text editor of her high School yearbook and a peer tutor.

KATORI LYNN HALL was the first African-American valedictorian in the history of Craigmont High School in Memphis, Tenn. This exceptional youth was a Ron Brown Scholar, Target All-Around Scholar and Coca-Cola Scholar Finalist. Her school activities included the math honor society and communications club. She also was a member of the cheerleading squad and the soccer and track teams. After school, she performed community service with Habitat for Humanity, the United Way and the Memphis food bank. Hall was also a teen writer for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper. She will attend Columbia University.

NORMAN NILES, who ranked in the top percentile of students at Julia R. Masterman High School in Philadelphia, will attend Morehouse College on a full scholarship. The scholar took college classes at the University of Pennsylvania while in high school and excelled as an athlete, finishing in fourth place for two years in cross-country track championships. While juggling his academic and extracurricular commitments, he was also a Sunday School teacher and church deacon.