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You wouldn’t know it by talking to her, but Hannah McGehee is one of only eight students in Colorado this year to earn a perfect score on the ACT college entrance exam.

It’s not because the top-of-her-class George Washington senior isn’t eloquent and intelligent when she speaks — that she is. But her humble approach to life — a style that does not involve boasting or bragging — keeps the truth of her perfect 36 score buried alive.

In fact, had it not been for her teachers and principals boasting about McGehee being one of only a handful of GW students ever to earn a perfect score on the ACT, her large group of about 20 friends likely wouldn’t even know about it.

And when her friends found out …

“They tell me, ‘You’re crazy,’” laughed a cheerful McGehee. “They make fun of me a little, but mostly they think it’s funny.”

McGehee was honored last week by the Colorado Department of Education. She received a certificate and enjoyed a luncheon. But McGehee is already thinking about her next challenge. She received a 2,300 on the SAT — for most, a mind-bending achievement. But McGehee believes she can do better, so she’s retaking the SAT II subject test in math.

With ambition like that, one might assume that the bright-eyed International Baccalaureate student will immediately head off to Dartmouth College, which just so happens to be her choice college destination. There she will perhaps study engineering/architecture, psychology, education — or all of the above.

But before Dartmouth, McGehee must first face an entire other dimension to her personality — an exploratory dimension. Rather than head right off into a world of higher education, McGehee would like to take a year to travel the world, especially South America.

In the meantime, she’ll be spending her free time rock climbing, reading books like “The Kite Runner,” chatting it up with her best friend Lydia and hanging out with boyfriend Martin — who just so happens to be quite a brainiac himself with goals of landing in the Berklee College of Music.

While Martin is a little bit rock and roll with his guitar, McGehee is a little bit classical with her piano. Yes, she also knows how to play the piano, in addition to belonging to her school’s math and chemistry clubs and the Spanish Honor Society. Talk about well-rounded.

McGehee is also a National Merit Scholar semi-finalist, having scored above the 99th percentile on the PSAT test as a junior.

She is not a big fan of taking pictures or dancing, but Martin somehow managed to talk her into attending GW’s homecoming dance this past weekend, where she both danced and took pictures. Nice work, Martin.

Assistant Principal June Easterling said what is truly remarkable about McGehee is her diverse personality and broad interests.

“What a great young lady,” said a smiling Easterling. “Not just academically, but her character — she is just a lovely, lovely person.”

As an assistant principal, Easterling is naturally proud of McGehee, but she points out that she expects her students to do well because she encourages both them and their teachers to push themselves to go the distance.

“The teachers are building relationships with the students, and once you build that relationship, the kids will perform for you — they will rise to the occasion,” said Easterling.

“I expect it,” she chuckled. “And I would just attribute that to high expectations. I expect that we’re going to have a student who’s going to get a perfect score on the ACT.”

Having experienced both private and public education, McGehee says she’s most happy with her public education at George Washington, mostly because of the diverse group of students and education that it has exposed her to.

At a time when Denver Public Schools is in the midst of great transition, pushing plans that aim to raise the district’s dismal 50 percent graduation rate, school officials are thrilled to celebrate achievements such as McGehee’s.

As for McGehee herself, she hasn’t done much celebrating, shrugging off the achievement as just another test that she aced. She considers herself a bit of a “book worm,” but denies any membership to the dork or geeks club.

That being said, McGehee wouldn’t be insulted if someone called her a “nerd.”

“I’d be honored if someone called me a, ‘Geek,’ or a ‘Dork,’” she said. “But I’m not that into titles or labels.” 

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