All AHS, DCHS Semifinalists/Finalists have been awarded National Merit scholarships
ALL SIX Daviess County Public Schools district students who were previously named Semifinalists and then advanced to Finalist status in the 64th annual National Merit Scholarship Program have been awarded National Merit Scholarships.
These students were among 16,000 academically talented high school seniors across the nation who earned designation as National Merit Semifinalists in September 2018 by earning the highest scores in each state on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. In February 2019, they advanced as Finalists for consideration for 7,500 National Merit Scholarships valued at more than $31 million, and were recently notified of their awards.
Four Daviess County High School seniors have been named National Merit Scholars. They are Kaylee Meador, daughter of Chad and Jennifer Meador, who will attend the University of Kentucky with a UK Patterson National Merit Scholarship; Alec Phelps, son of Dana Westerfield and Jeff Phelps, who has accepted a University of Alabama National Merit Scholar package; Nace Mattingly, son of Joseph and Michelle Mattingly, who will attend the University of Louisville with a U of L National Merit Finalist Trustees’ Scholarship; and Gabija Ziemyte, daughter of Jolanta Ziemiene and Gintas Ziemys, who will attend the University of Kentucky with a UK Patterson National Merit Scholarship. Kaylee is a member of the DCHS Habitat for Humanity Club, Key Club International and National Beta Club. Alec is a member of the DCHS academic team and serves as captain of the Quick Recall team. He is president of the Student Council. Nace is a member of Future Farmers of America, Beta Club and the Y Club. Gabija is vice president of the Young Democrats, is active in the Spanish Honor Society and serves as senior class reporter.
Two Apollo High School seniors also rank among this prestigious group as 2019 National Merit Scholars. Trevor Scott Payne, son of Richard and Stacy Payne, will attend the University of Kentucky with a UK Patterson Scholarship. He has been a member of the AHS varsity baseball team and Kentucky Youth Assembly for four years and serves as head chairman of the AHS DanceBlue committee. Brooklyn Michelle Knight is the daughter of Kenneth and Tamara Knight. She will attend the University of Kentucky with a UK Patterson Scholarship. She is enrolled in the Early College Program and will earn her associates degree along with her high school diploma this year. Brooklyn is also a member of the Life Science and Engineering academies and is vice president of the Student Government Association.
Press Release / Background Information from NMSC:
Steps in the 2019 Competition Over 1.6 million juniors in about 22,000 high schools entered the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and his or her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. National Merit Scholarships Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2019. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 230 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2019 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join some 338,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
