Two seniors from Harlingen High School South have been named Commended Students in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Erika Hernandez and Christian Ingram are among 34,000 high-school seniors to be recognized nationwide for their exceptional academic promise.
These scholastically talented students will receive a Letter of Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program. Although they will not continue in the 2018 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, some become candidates for special scholarships, making this recognition a badge of honor for these students.
“This is a huge honor. My family and I were all super excited to learn that I am a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program,” said Ingram. “I found out shortly before that, that I am a National Hispanic Scholar. This will be a major help on my college applications, and it means more opportunities for scholarships.”
Ingram wants to double major in business management and graphic design. He is applying to several in and out of state colleges like Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, Arizona State University, and Babson College.
Hernandez, who like Ingram was also selected as a National Hispanic Scholar, hopes to attend either Dartmouth College or Columbia University and major in psychology.
Though initially surprised by the awarding of these honors so early on in the school year, these are welcome recognitions to the two seniors who are hoping to put their best foot forward as they apply to their first-choice colleges and universities.
“Academics are a big deal in my family, so both my parents are very pleased that I received this commendation,” she said. “I studied hard for the exam during the summer, and it definitely feels like a validation of those efforts. I feel that I’m prepared for college, which is vital because the school that I want to attend is really competitive.”
Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.6 million students who entered the 2018 competition by taking the 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
Congratulations to both of you. You’re truly awesome HCISD role models. Good luck on your future endeavors.