BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Test-taking can be a point of weakness for some but this week’s Standout Student takes the saying “third time’s a charm” to a whole new level. 

The pressure of college entrance exams is all behind for Layla Evans, 17.

“I got a 31 on the ACT in the 8th grade,” said Evans. “I’m good, I’m good. I don’t want to take it again.”

ACT scores range from 1-36. Your score is based on the number of correct answers in each section. 

“So the first time, my brother was going to take it and then my mom was like, ‘Do you want to take it?'” I was like, ‘Sure.'”

There was obviously room for improvement, so Evans took another jab at the exam.

“I wanted to go higher cause, just to see, so I took it again last year as a sophomore. I got a 34 and it was, like, you know, that was good,” said Evans.

But why settle for good when you can be great? In one last effort to see just how far she could go, Evans took the exam one last time, and would you believe her results?

“Everybody was like, ‘The scores came in, the scores came in,’ and I was like, ‘Oh okay,’ so I went to go check and I opened it and I just screamed and I ran to my mom’s room, I was like, ‘Look, look, look!’ She was like, ‘What?’ I was like, ‘Look, it’s a 36!'” said Evans.  

A 36 is the highest score possible. And while she’s a year out from applying to colleges, she’s already got her eyes on some big hitters. 

“I’m looking at Georgia Tech for my top college choice, Purdue, maybe UPenn, UT Austin. I’m all over the map with it,” said Evans.

She’ll be there in no time, Evans is a part of the Early College Option program. It blends high school and college work. In fact, she’s already completed her high school requirements and is currently taking classes at River Parish Community College.

“I want to do mechanical engineering. I like problem-solving, and I like to use my hands. You know, I’m an artist. I just feel like it would be cool to take a problem and create something to fix it,” said Evans.

It may seem like this mathematician keeps her nose in the books, but she also takes the time to do the things she really enjoys aside from excelling in her academics.

“I like to paint; my whole room is just filled with paintings. I’m working on a few right now. I’m a praise dancer and I’m in the video ministry,” said Evans.

Her mom said at times, she’s the boss of the house which aligns perfectly with her future plans. 

“I hope at the top of some company,” said Evans.

She also revealed her secret to success.

“Use your resources, that’s what my old assistant principal used to say. Like, she would reiterate that a lot. And I listened, and it paid off,” said Evans.

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