JHS Seniors Named National Merit Finalists

Two Joplin High School seniors – Christina Funke and Cort VanOstran – have been named finalists in the 52nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. They are among approximately 15,000 scholastically talented high school seniors nationwide who will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards, worth $33.9 million, that will be offered this spring.

Along with 1.4 million other students across the country, Christina and Cort entered the 2007 National Merit Program as high school juniors by taking the 2005 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) which served as an initial screen of program entrants. About 90 percent of Semifinalists attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists are selected as Merit Scholarship winners, earning the Merit Scholar title. Merit Scholar designees are selected based on their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

More information about the National Merit Scholarship Program can be found at www.nationalmerit.org.

posted 02/09/07