STAFF REPORTS
Hays High School senior Helene Thompson has been named a National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalist, principal David Pierce and academic dean Teri Eubank announced last week.
About 16,000 students across the country were named “Semifinalist” in the 56th annual NMS Program. These academically-talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 8,400 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $35 million, that will be offered next spring.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the “Finalist” level of competition. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the “Merit Scholar” title.
Thompson was one of more than 1.5 million juniors in more than 21,000 high schools entered in the 2010 NMS competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/NMS Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state.
Helene Thompson is the daughter of Charles and Mary Terry Thompson.
