Seaholm’s 2009 National Merit Scholar semifinalists are seniors Calla Glavin, Calley Murphy, Kyle McClain, Ellen Weeburg, Barclay Oudersluys, and Liz Williams.
To qualify for the National Merit Scholar Program (NMSP), students must take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test. Approximately 50,000 of those with the highest scores are eligible for recognition from the NMSP.
About one-third of the 50,000 are selected as semi-finalists, including the five Seaholm students.
The names of the finalists were announced during school, which caught McClain off guard.
“I was kind of embarrassed when they made that huge announcement,” McClain said. Nevertheless, she maintained that she was still thrilled.
“I was so happy, so excited,” McClain said.
According McClain, she was asked to state her first choice of college. She also had to write an essay on someone who had influenced her.
In February, around 15,000 of the semifinalists will be chosen as finalists and notified. Winners will then be selected.
Awards include $2500 National Merit scholarships, corporate scholarships, and college-sponsored scholarships.
