Vandegrift seniors who are National Merit Semifinalists.
National Hispanic students recognized
By LYNETTE HAALAND
Four Points News
Some 53 Vandegrift High School seniors have been recognized by the National Merit Program and the National Hispanic Recognition Program.
National Merit Semifinalists
VHS seniors make up more than half of the total 23 Leander ISD students distinguished as Semifinalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program based on their outstanding performances on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
The Viper National Merit Semifinalists are Ashley Chase, Nicholas Cummings, Bethany Dollar, Spoorthi Kamepalli, Ethan McCosky, Nidhi Pandya, Yilong Peng, Dillon Piegat, Riya Saxena, Spencer Sharp, Robert Smoot, Joshua Stelling and Jonathan Walker.
“On behalf of Leander ISD, I congratulate these students for earning this prestigious honor,” said
Leander ISD Superintendent Dan Troxell. “We are incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication, and we are confident that we will continue to see them achieve great heights.”
National Merit Semifinalists, who represent less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, include the highest scoring entrants in each state. These academically gifted high school seniors will compete for scholarships worth about $33 million next spring.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
National Merit Commended Students
Vandegrift seniors who are National Merit Commended Students.
Last week, LISD reported an increase in Commended Students, stating that 93 seniors were recognized by 2017 National Merit Program based also on their strong performances on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
“On behalf of the District, I congratulate the 2016 Commended Students on receiving this distinguished honor,” Troxell said. “LISD is proud of the hard work and academic talent these students have exhibited.”
VHS Commended Students make up a large portion of the LISD seniors who were recognized. Viper Commended Students are Alina Ali, Jerome Bell, Matthew Cao, Sarah Carpenter, Robert Chestney, Joshua Chmelik, James Cornell, Stephanie Cutler, Jordan Daniels, Mitchell Fisher, Sophia Froehlich, Ryan Galligher, Mackenzie Gamel, Natalie Goddard, Natiel Gomez, Karan Gowda, Danielle Griswold-Wheeler, Shelby Hansen, Joshua Johnson, Anupriya Jose, Taehyoung Kim, Parisa Mahumud, Tucker Mathis, Jennifer Maunder, Linnea May, Emily Mccollum, Ann Nguyen, Ellen Pasquarette, Elizabeth Patterson, Sophia Povedano, Austin Rhea, Bethany Rossi, Savannah Schmidt, Ankith Sripathi, Holly Streber, Kayla Streber, Kellie Walker, Rachel Williams and Alexis Woelffer.
About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2017 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of the more than 1.6 million students who entered the 2017 competition by taking the 2015 PSAT/NMSQT.
National Hispanic Recognition Program
Each year, the NHRP honors about 5,000 of the highest-scoring students from over 250,000 Hispanic/Latino juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT. These students are from the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Mariana Islands and the Marshall Islands, as well as U.S. citizens attending schools abroad. Although the NHRP does not provide a financial reward, being named is an important academic recognition, and this achievement can be indicated on college applications as many colleges offer scholarship awards to students qualifying as a National Hispanic Scholar.
Vandegrift seniors who are part of the National Hispanic Recognition Program.
National Merit Commended
These students are recognized by National Merit for outstanding academic achievement and often become candidates for special scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.
ALINA ALI, JEROME BELL, MATTHEW CAO, SARAH CARPENTER, ROBERT CHESTNEY, JOSHUA CHMELIK, JAMES CORNELL, STEPHANIE CUTLER, MITCHELL FISHER, RYAN GALLIGHER, MACKENZIE GAMEL, NATALIE GODDARD, KARAN GOWDA, DANIELLE GRISWOLD-WHEELER, SHELBY HANSEN, JOSHUA JOHNSON, ANUPRIYA JOSE, TAEHYOUNG KIM, PARISA MAHMUD, TUCKER MATHIS, JENNIFER MAUNDER, LINNEA MAY, EMILY MCCOLLUM, ANN NGUYEN, ELLEN PASQUARETTE, ELIZABETH PATTERSON, AUSTIN RHEA, BETHANY ROSSI, SAVANNAH SCHMIDT, ANKITH SRIPATHI, KAYLA STREBER, HOLLY STREBER, KELLIE WALKER, ALEXIS WOELFFER
National Hispanic Scholar & Recognition Program
NHRP honors about 5,000 of the highest-scoring students from over 250,000 Hispanic/Latino juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT. These seniors took the 2015 PSAT when they were juniors.
LILIANE COWLEY, JORDAN DANIELS, HANNAH DAVIDSON, NATIEL GOMEZ, MORGAN NANEZ, SOPHIA POVEDANO, RACHEL WILLIAMS, ALEXANDER BORGES, SOPHIA FROEHLICH, ERICA MUNOZ, JESSE RIEDEL
National Merit Semifinalist
These students represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state who will compete for 7,500 scholarships worth approximately $33 million dollars.
ASHLEY CHASE, NICHOLAS CUMMINGS, BETHANY DOLLAR, SPOORTHI KAMEPALLI, ETHAN MCCOSKY, NIDHI PANDYA, YILONG PENG, DILLON PIEGAT, RIYA SAXENA, SPENCER SHARP, ROBERT SMOOT, JOSHUA STELLING, JONATHAN WALKER