Airdrie’s JT Luterbach was once again among a small group of students from Rocky View Schools (RVS) to score 100 per cent on a diploma exam.
The Bert Church High School senior aced his physics 30 diploma in January, marking the second time he's earned a perfect grade on a diploma exam. In June 2019, Luterbach earned 100 per cent on his chemistry 30 diploma as a Grade 11 student.
“It was really cool, because obviously I’d had the taste of it in June last year, but it was definitely great to get 100 [per cent] in physics as well,” he said.
The 18-year-old credited the support of his family and a background in competitive sports – Luterbach was a member of the Airdrie CFR Chemical Bisons AAA midget hockey team last year – with helping him achieve the perfect score.
“I want to give a lot of thanks and credit to my family for giving me the opportunity to focus on my academics, and also for letting me pursue my athletic dreams,” he said. “I think being able to play sports at a competitive level has really helped prepare me for situations like diploma exams, where you need to train, prepare diligently and be on your 'A-game' and perform confidently.”
Luterbach, who was the only Airdrie student to join RVS’ “100 per cent club” this term, said his study strategy involved reviewing physics material throughout the semester so that he wouldn’t have to cram in the days leading up to the exam. He said he also often studied with a group and would help explain course concepts to his peers.
“That helped me a lot, because it helped me understand the course from other viewpoints and angles,” he said. “If I think I understand something, but I can’t explain it, there’s probably something I’m missing.”
Luterbach’s preferred subjects are math and sciences, he said, because they are more black-and-white compared to courses like English and social studies, which are more interpretive.
“I like the problem-solving part of science classes,” Luterbach said. “I do enjoy the written classes, but opinions are sometimes hard to deal with. The nice thing about math and sciences is that there usually is a right and wrong answer. That’s nice, especially when taking tests.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the move towards online learning, Alberta Education cancelled diploma exams this June. Luterbach said that was somewhat of a relief, but added he was keen on taking the biology 30 exam to see if he could pull off a hat trick of perfect scores in the science subjects.
With classes now taking place online, Luterbach said he has adapted fairly easily, as he was already doing much of his learning remotely this year because of his involvement with the Bisons.
“This isn’t too much of a shift for me, but I know for some people who have never done online, it’s a big change to adapt to,” he said. “For the physics 30 class, because I was part of the Bisons and Global [Sport Academy], I didn’t step into the classroom once. I would pick up the assignments after school and use online resources to kind of teach myself the course.”
While his original post-graduation goal was to play junior hockey for a few years before pursuing a university degree in engineering or physics, Luterbach said the ongoing pandemic has resulted in his next steps being “up in the air.”
“Spring camps were all cancelled, so it’s definitely tough for junior teams to even get a group of guys together for main camp in the fall, if that’s even able to happen,” he said. “I’m just trying to keep all my doors open right now, between school and hockey – I’m playing it by ear.”
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
