Doniphan High School student Thomas Hawks doesn't lack confidence when it comes to academics. He walked in to take the ACT test in early December with that confidence, knowing he could ace the exam.
The high school junior found out two weeks later he did just that, scoring a perfect 36 on his ACT.
"I knew I could do it before I walked in," Hawks said. "I'm just amazed at my luck."
Hawks' mother, Cheryl, was thrilled when she heard her son's score and said she performed a happy dance.
"No matter where he wants to go, now he can and they will come to him," she said of college recruiters. "The less we have to pay for the better and this is above and beyond!"
Being one of nine children, Hawks' original college plans included the A+ Program and hoping for scholarships.
Currently, the Hawks family has one child in college and two who have graduated high school.
The next Hawks child, Catherine, is a sophomore at Doniphan and also has taken the ACT test.
"She made a 26," Cheryl said of her sophomore daughter. "I have high hopes for her as well."
She added Catherine has been asking her brother what else she can expect on the test in the future.
To prepare for the ACT, Hawks said he took an ACT prep course offered at his school, which covered a lot of information, including what he could expect on the test.
"Take a trigonometry class before the test or at least be in one," he said.
He also added math formulas and grammar are a big factor in doing well on the test.
Hawks was able to take the ACT test once before acing it. He scored a 34 his first try, leaving a few questions blank.
"I knew if I at least finished the test I would do well," he said. "I knew about everything that came up and questioned one or two."
Only a junior in high school, Hawks has not finalized which college he would like to attend, but said he plans on either studying to be a priest or engineering with the military.
"I always assumed I could do anything I wanted," he said.
Cheryl said her son has always had a good attitude and came to the conclusion he wanted to score a 36 on the ACT and followed through.
"When he decides he wants to do something, he does it," she said.