Two seniors earn National Merit honors
Seniors Callie Boren and Anna Jones were recognized by the National Merit Corporation.
“Time’s up!”
Pencils reluctantly fall against desks, test booklets slowly fold shut, chairs creak with the increased weight of stretching students, and sighs of exhaustion conclude the PSAT. As the students filed out of the room, the competition had just begun for two seniors.
Seniors Callie Boren and Anna Jones qualified for the 2016 National Merit Scholarship program. The score earned on the PSAT/NSMQT test placed them in the top percentile of all the students who took the test their junior year. The National Merit Scholarship program asociated with The College Board, which also administers the SAT, AP and PSAT. Finalists are able to receive scholarships from the board and other large corporations offering scholarships to the academic elite. The 2016 Finalists will be announced by the National Merit Scholar association February 2017. As a semi-finalist in the competition, Boren will move on to the next round.
“I have to fill out an application, write an essay, give information on extracurricular activities and the level of classes I take and take the SAT to demonstrate I can do well on a test multiple times,” Boren said. “After all of that is completed, I play a waiting game.”
The program groups students who perform well on the PSAT and narrows them down in a National Merit Scholar competition. Jones was recognized as a commended scholar, so she will not advance in the competition, but she will still receive scholarship opportunities.
“I am still in the top 34,000 people who took the test, so it’s still really good, and I am proud of myself,” Jones said. “The best thing you can do is study for your tests. You might get some money out of it.”
Boren said she is unsure of what college she will attend, but she will work toward her bachelor degree and a professional degree for audiology (Au.D.) after graduation.
“I know there are a lot of great options, and I am still trying to figure out where the place for me is,” Boren said. “Although I am not sure where I will be next fall, I know where I am headed and that is exciting.”
Boren has faced challenges growing up hearing impaired, so to help others in the Deaf Community, she aspires to be a clinical audiologist.
“I want to help people who can not hear to any extent,” Boren said. “Not only with their ability to hear through hearing aids, cochlear implants and other audiological devices, but also with the emotional, psychological side of it. I want to work through that with other people because I know it has been a long process for me.”
Jones is unsure of what career she wants to pursue, but she does plan to attend an elite college.
“I have not found anything I want to do for the rest of my life, but I am hoping college will help me figure it out,” Jones said. “I am probably going to attend either Purdue University, Carnegie Mellon University, or MIT.”
After Boren was informed of her achievement, she went home and told her family the good news.
“They have supported me a lot in preparing for not just this, but also for college, scholarships and being successful academically,” Boren said. “We were all incredibly excited to see my hard work had paid off.”
Hello! My name is Codi Bradstreet, and I am the Editor-in-Chief of The Eagle’s Tale. I am a senior, so this is my last year on staff. I am on the basketball team, I am the senior class publicist, and I am involved in two leadership programs outside...
