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For the first time in the history of the Harlan Independent School District, a Harlan High School student has won the title of state champion in the individual Future Problem Solving category at the Kentucky Governor’s Cup Academic Team championship event in Louisville.

Harlan High School freshman Salena Amro brought home the title of state champion.

According to the website https://kaac.com/governors-cup, the Governor’s Cup is designed to encourage depth and breadth of academic knowledge, teamwork, cultural literacy, creativity, leadership, critical thinking and risk assessment.

“I am just so proud of Salena,” Harlan Independent Schools Superintendent C.D. Morton said. “She has been a dedicated member of our academic teams for a long time. She is a big part of the success we have had over the years, and since she is just a freshman, she will be a big part of our future success. She works really hard and takes school very seriously. We have been able to support her to achieve at a high level and she is eager to learn. I am excited to watch her grow, she has a very bright future, and she is just getting started.”

According to a news release, Amro’s win follows the recent district and regional championships achieved by Harlan Independent in the elementary, middle school and high School divisions.

Pat Bryson, Harlan High School’s Academic FPS coach, invited Amro to become involved in the Future Problem-Solving team.

“Salena is the first ever freshman to be included on my competing Future Problem Solving high school team,” Bryson said. “The first day I met her, I could see her willingness to work hard and her desire to learn as much as she could. This desire to grow intellectually caught my attention right away. Salena is an amazing young lady. How fortunate I am to be able to learn with and from her. Congratulations to sweet Salena!”

The release states Amro was a member of the Harlan Middle School Academic Team in 2022, helping the team bring home their highest finish in the school’s history with an 8th place overall finish at that year’s state competition. Amro additionally finished first in Arts and Humanities and was a member of the Quick Recall and Future Problem-Solving teams which placed first in Region 20. Because of her first-place finish at this year’s Governor’s Cup, Amro is invited to attend the Future Problem-Solving International Conference being held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in Amherst, Massachusetts in June.

Amro is the daughter of Dr. Sam Amro and Mai Amro. She is a member of the Harlan High Band and the tennis team.