North Idaho students are Merit Scholarship semifinalists
COEUR d’ALENE — Several students from Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy and Coeur d’Alene School District 271 are making names for themselves as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.
Charter Academy seniors Ashlyn Craigie, Tate Burkholder and Madeleine Durkin, Coeur d’Alene High School seniors Amelia Morris, Noelle Murphy, Isaac Thorpe and Caleb Wright, and Lake City High School senior Shawnee Madden have each demonstrated academic excellence achieved by less than 1% of high schoolers nationwide, according to a press release from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Each student scored within the top 1% of scores on the PSAT/NMSQT tests, in addition to maintaining a strong academic record and being recommended by their principal.
“We are very proud of these amazing students,” said Charter Academy principal Dan Nicklay. “They have worked so hard, and they deserve to be honored.”
Charter Academy seniors Skyler Gessner and Madilynne Strom were also awarded Commended status in recognition of their scoring in the top 2% of PSAT/NMSQT scores — an equally impressive feat of academic promise.
Nicklay noted how these five students make up a significant percentage of the school’s 40-student senior class.
“Twelve and a half percent to be exact, which is 12.5 times what a school our size would normally expect,” Nicklay said.
The semifinalists must now submit a detailed scholarship application, among other materials, in order to be considered for scholarships as a finalist.
“These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring,” the press release read.
These North Idaho scholars will be competing with about 15,000 other students once they reach the finalist level, according to the press release.
Info: www.nationalmerit.org
Burkholder
Durkin
Gessner
Strom
Morris
Murphy
Thorpe
Wright
Madden