Harrison Student Wins Merit Scholarship

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School of the Holy Child senior and Harrison resident Nikki Erlick is one of 2,500 high school students in the nation to be named a National Merit Scholar.

Erlick, who will attend Harvard University, will receive a $2,500 scholarship to put toward hercollege tuition.

“This is a special honor and recognition for Nikki from the National Merit Scholarship Program,” said Joanna Broda, director of guidance and college counseling for School of the Holy Child in Rye. “She is one of those students who will bring a love of learning, a quest for excellence and a wonderful work ethic to her collegiate experience.”

This year’s competition for scholarships began in October 2010 when Erlick, along with 1.5 million other juniors took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test(PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state were named semifinalists. From that group, 15,000 students advanced to the finalist level of the competition.

National Merit Scholars are the finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Winners were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors based ona number of factors including academic record, extracurricular activities, awards, leadership positions, a recommendation and writing an essay.

In addition to being a dedicated student, Erlick is a member of the National Honor Society, editor-in-chief of Holy Child’s school newspaper, co-captain of the Model UN Club and the varsity tennis team, and founder and co-president of the Mandarin Club. Additionally, Erlick serves as a math tutor to Holy Child middle school students and she was chosen last year by the faculty to receive the Yale Book Award for outstanding personal character and intellectual promise.

School of the Holy Child in Rye, NY, established in 1904, is a Catholic, independent, college-preparatory school for young women in grades 5-12. Guided by the ideals of Cornelia Connelly, founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, the School was established to educate young women to “meet the wants of the age” and to foster “joy in teaching and joy in learning.