MasonBuzz.com

Sam Whipple and Andrew Zheng, from Mason High School; and Anosha Minai, who attends Ursuline Academy, were selected from among 15,000 finalists in this year’s National Merit Scholarship Program.

Whipple plans to go into politics; Zheng, chemical engineering; and Minai wants to be an entrepreneur.

A committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors selected the scholarship winners from among the National Merit finalists.

The committee used criteria that included academic record, difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned, standardized test scores, school leadership, community activities, an essay, and recommendation by a school official.

Honorees were among 1.5 million who entered the 2013 competition by taking the 2011 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as juniors.

This is the second of four releases of corporate, college and National Merit scholarships that will be awarded through July. The scholarships can be used at any regionally accredited United States college or university.

By the end of the competition about 8,000 scholarships, valued at more than $35 million, will have been awarded.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: andrew zheng, Anosha Minai, mason high school, national merit finalists, national merit scholarship program, sam whipple, ursuline academy

From left, Matthew Drew, William Hollingsworth and John Jamieson, all seniors at Kings High School, were named National Merit Commended Students. Photo provided

Three Kings High School seniors have been named Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship program.

Honored students include: Matthew Drew, William Hollingsworth, and John Jamieson

About 34,000 students in the nation are named Commended Students for demonstrating strong academic achievement and promise for admission to selective colleges.

Commended Students make up the top 5 percent of the more than 1.5 million students who take the SAT test each year.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: commended students, john jamieson, kings, kings high school, matthew drew, national merit scholarship program, william hollingsworth

Twelve Mason High School seniors have been named Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship program.

Honored students include: : Madalyn Baehre, Usoshi Chatterjee, Daniel Chrzanowski, Katherine Garwood, Parker Henry, Lauren Huff, Dan Li, Sarvesh Nalluri, Alexander Notton, Paige Richie, Sean Sargent and Songyi Yen.

About 34,000 students in the nation are named Commended Students for demonstrating strong academic achievement and promise for admission to selective colleges. Commended Students make up the top 5 percent of the more than 1.5 million students who take the SAT test each year.

The students, along with 20 students named National Merit semifinalists last month, will be recognized at the Oct. 9 school board meeting.

“All of these students are extremely talented and hard working. Being named as commended scholars will help enhance their educational opportunities,” said Mason Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: alexander notton, college board, commended students, dan li, daniel chrzanowski, katherine garwood, lauren huff, madalyn baehre, mason high school, national merit scholarship program, paige richie, parker henry, sarvesh nalluri, sean sargent, seniors, songyi yen, usoshi chatterjee

Sue Kiesewetter reports:

Ten Mason area high school seniors are among 44 Tristate students and 2,500 nationally  who will receive college funded scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Scholarships range from $500 to $2,000 per year, renewable for up to four years. Exact amounts of the scholarships are not released by National Merit.

The awards come from 117 private and 80 public colleges and universities located in 45 states and the District of Columbia.

Wednesday’s announcement was the third of four releases naming recipients of corporate, college and National Merit scholarships that are being awarded to National Merit finalists in the 2012 competition. The last group of winners will be announced in July.

The recipients – who represent less than 1 percent of all seniors nationally – were among 1.5 million students who entered the 2012 competition by taking the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as juniors.

The winners are listed by their high schools and include the school issuing the scholarship and the student’s probably career field.

Kings: Lauren Dennison, University of Georgia, oncology research; Sabrina Halligan, Miami University, translation

Mars Hill Academy: Esther Cunningham, Wheaton College, education; David Giese, Xavier University, math

Mason: Andrew Carlin, Clemson University, product design engineering; Jonathan Chen, Northeastern University, pharmacy; Emma Headley, Case Western Reserve University, biomedical engineering; Andrew Holderbaum, Ohio State University, biology; Daniel Lang, Washington University at St. Louis, medicine; Karen Zhang, University of Cincinnati, piano music

For a complete list of the Tristate’s 44 Merit scholars, go to www.cincinnati.com.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: andrew carlin, andrew holderbaum, daniel lang, david giese, emma headley, esther cunningham, jonathan chen, karen zhang, kings high school, lauren dennison, mars hill academy, mason high school, merit scholars, national merit scholarship program, sabrina halligan, scholarships

Two Seven Hills School seniors from Mason have been named National Merit Finalists.

Sharon Liao and Claire Duncan are among 15,000 students from across the nation to be honored as finalists and represent less than 1 percent of all seniors

More than 1.5 million students entered the competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as juniors.

Duncan was also named a National Achievement Scholarship Finalist, a program  recognizing outstanding black students.  Of the 160,000 students who enter the program each year, about 1,300 are named finalists.

“We’re always proud of all of our students for their amazing accomplishments in and out of the classroom,” said Susan Marrs, director of college counseling at Seven Hills.

Both students are now in the running to receive $2,500 National Merit scholarship awards, which are awarded on a state representational basis.  Corporate and college-sponsored scholarships are also awarded to finalists who meet certain requirements.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: claire duncan, mason, national merit finalists, national merit scholarship program, seven hills, sharon liao, student achievement

Megan McGrath of Mason has been named a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship program.

Megan, a senior at St. Ursula Academy, was recognized for her junior year performance on the Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test.  About 1.5 million students take the test year and less than 4 percent are recognized as semi-finalists or commended students.

About 12 percent of St. Ursula Academy seniors, or 172 students, have received recognition from the National Merit, National Achievement and the National Hispanic Scholarship Programs in the past nine years.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: commended student, mason, megan mcgrath, national merit scholarship program, st. ursula

Betsy Thistleton of Mason has been named a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship program.

Betsy, a senior at Mars Hill Academy, was recognized for her junior year performance on the Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test.  About 1.5 million students take the test year and less than 4 percent are recognized as semi-finalists or commended students.

“This is another confirmation of the effectiveness of a classical Christian education,” said Paul Brinkerhoff, the school’s dean of academic affairs. “We do not teach to any test, but rather hold true to classical methods while pursuing standards of truth, goodness and beauty grounded in the Scriptures.”

More than 25 percent of Mars Hill students earned commended or finalist status.  The Mason Christian school has an enrollment of 304 students in K-12.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: betsy thistleton, christian, commended student, mars hill academy, national merit scholarship program, religion, senior

Fifteen Mason High School seniors have been named Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship program.

The honored students include: Bhanu Banda, Alexandra Besse, Kaushik Chagarlamudi, Kevin Feng, Regina Goldsmith Katelyn Kang, Branden Labarowski, Mili Patel, Kaitlyn Pontious, Eleanor Roth, Tajana Schneiderman, Mackenzie Shivers, Elliott Valentine, Nathaniel Webb, and Kathleen Yang.

About 34,000 students in the nation are named Commended Students for demonstrating strong academic achievement and promise for admission to selective colleges.  Commended Students make up the top 5 percent of the more than 1.5 million students who take the SAT test each year.

Nazharie Brandon was also recognized as an Outstanding Participant in the National Achievement program, which recognizes the nation’s top academically-promising black high school seniors.

Brandon scored in the top 3 percent of the more than 160,000 black students who requested consideration for the program.

The students will be recognized at the Oct. 7 home football game.

“All of these students are extremely talented student leaders, and being named as commended scholars will help enhance their educational opportunities,” said Mason High School Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: academics, achievement, college board, commended students, mason high school, national merit scholarship program, sat

Two Mason teens are among 27 Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky high school seniors to receive a one-time, $2,500 scholarship from the National Merit Scholarship Corp.

Charlotte Eads and Linda Yao were selected from among 15,000 finalists in the 2011 National Merit Scholarship program and represent the brightest students from across the country.

Charlotte’s probably career field is physics/research while Linda’s is economics.

The recipients were judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in college from each state.  Selection was done by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors.

They were among 1.5 million who entered the 2011 competition by taking the 2009 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as juniors and represent less than 1 percent of all seniors.

This is the second of four releases of corporate, college and National Merit scholarships that will be awarded through July. The scholarships can be used at any regionally accredited United States college or university.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: charlotte eads, college, linda yao, mason, mason high school, national merit scholars, national merit scholarship program, scholarship, university