CCHS students recognized by National Merit Scholarship Corporation
Three Cape Coral High School students were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as commended students, along with one student named as the semi-finalist.
The 2011 Commended Students for Cape Coral High School were Emily Choate, Elizabeth Kubiak and Maxwell McAdms. The 2011 National Outstanding Participant honor was given to Cape Coral High’s Teresa Zamor.
Cape Coral High School Director of Guidance Lori Brooks said colleges take notice of those students who are commended. About 34,000 out of 50,000 high scoring students who take the PSAT are recognized as commended students.
“It is quite a feather in their cap and quite an honor,” Brooks said about the students who were recognized. “It is one of the top notch programs in the nation.”
Brooks said juniors take the PSAT test during their junior year and if they score in the top 1 percent of all students in the nation who take the PSAT, those students are named the National Merit Semifinalist. Approximately 1,600 students out of 50,000 high scoring students are semi-finalists and they are the highest scoring entrants in each state.
Last year Cape Coral High School had commended scholars, but it has been a number of years since a semi-finalist was named.
Brooks said Krystal Burton was named the semi-finalist. Her application has been submitted, she said, and Burton is currently in the phase of “will she become a finalist and if named a finalist, will she become a winner of that scholarship?”
“Colleges definitely recognize the prestigiousness of this award,” Brooks said. “It is quite prestigious for the students.”
Myranda Gargano and Alexander Latorre of Estero High School and Alyssa Nieves of Fort Myers High School were also honored as the 2011 Commended Students.
The other students in the district who were honored with the 2011 National Outstanding Participants were Efe Cudjoe and Hilary Jessup of Fort Myers High School.
Since the National Merit Scholarship Corporation began in 1955, it has recognized 2.8 million students and provided more than 350,000 scholarships worth more than $1.4 billion.