Lexington One Seniors Receive Honors in National Merit Scholarship Competitions

Lexington County School District One seniors recently earned recognition in the National Merit Scholarship competitions.

Students entered the contest as juniors when they took the PSAT/National Merit Qualifying Test.

The district's 2013 National Merit Scholarship Commended students include Lexington High Seniors Patrick Callari, James Fields, Caroline Haggard, Madeline Johnson, Kinsey MacDonald, Izlen Peksenar and Adrian Perez. These students placed among the top five percent of the 1.5 million students who took the test.

Two Lexington One students were also named 2013 National Achievement Scholarship Semifinalists. Lexington High student Madeline Johnson and White Knoll High student Jordan Gunn are two of more than 1,600 black American high school seniors who have been designated semifinalists in the competition. 

Last year more than 160,000 juniors requested consideration in the 2013 National Achievement Scholarship Program. From that group, 1,600 students made it to the semifinalist round. Johnson and Gunn will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for approximately 800 National Achievement Scholarship awards.

Lexington One previously announced the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. They are: Lexington High students Benjamin Bartlett, Carsten Bryant, Justin Garrison and Allan Zhao; Pelion High student Ashton Nicewonger; and White Knoll High student Jordan Gunn.

The nationwide pool of approximately 16,000 semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. These students will continue in the competition for more than 8,300 National Merit Scholarships. 

Submitted by Lexington One.