Above, Hays High School’s National Merit Commended Students include (back to front, left to right) Nathaniel Webber, Hays High Principal David Pierce, Patricia Swanson, Theodore Paraskeva, Lead Counselor Kathy Arendt; Chaney Turney, Kirsten Bjornson, Erin Korzeniewski. (Photos by Jim Cullen)
Right, Lehman High School’s Katherine Rush, left, and Amanda Markert have each been named “Commended Student” in the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program. They were chosen on the basis of a national selection score on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
STAFF REPORTS
Hays High School Principal David Pierce and Lehman High School Principal Don Ruisinger have announced that eight local high school students are Commended Students based on their scores on the 2009 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Receiving news of their recognition were Hays High School’s Kirsten Bjornson, daughter of Donna Bjornson; Erin Korzeniewski, daughter of Thomas and Paula Korzeniewski; Theodore Paraskeva, son of Gloria and John Paraskeva; Patricia Swanson, daughter of Carol Swanson; Kathryn Chaney Turney, daughter of Thomas and Virginia Turney; and Nathaniel Webber, son of William and Mindy Webber. Lehman High School’s honorees included Amanda Markert, daughter of Larry and Kay Markert, and Katherine Rush, daughter of Bonnie Rush.
The local contingent is among a national group of 34,000 high-scoring performers who placed in the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the competition by taking the national test.
A spokesperson for the awards’ sponsor, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, said “the young men and women named Commended Students represent some of the most academically talented students in our country. We sincerely hope this recognition will enhance their educational opportunities and encourage them in their pursuit of academic excellence.”
