Senior Savannah Brady has always loved reading, something that she attributes to her success as a 2024 National Merit semifinalist.
“I’ve always liked reading, and so I think that helped me a lot actually on, like, the literature portion,” Brady said.
15 students were chosen as National Merit scholars including Brady and seniors Jake Elverum, David Guo, Natalie Koch, Neelan Krishna, Andrew Li, Yiyoung Liu, Graham Longhofer, Asher Pinson, Yincheng Qian, Lakshmi Vemula, Emma L. Wang, Emma Z. Wang, Danica Xiao, and Lauren Yue.
While earning a spot as a National Merit semifinalist is a big deal, Brady says that finding out that she had earned the spot was surprisingly anticlimactic.
“You just take the PSAT. After you take it, they contact you and say…you made it,’” Brady said.
After being accepted into the National Merit Scholar list, she quickly took advantage of the opportunity.
“Now that I’ve gotten it, I’ve pursued the extra stuff to become a finalist instead of just a semi-finalist,” Brady said.
Teachers also play a vital role in a student’s academic success. Savannah credited Ms. Janik, an English teacher who had always inspired her throughout her studies.
“She was always telling us that it’s always my students who do well on National Merit,” Brady said.
This sentiment aligns with school counselor Mindy McMinn’s perspective on the importance of teachers.
“The encouragement and structured instruction from dedicated teachers can nurture a student’s confidence and competence,” McMinn said.
In addition to the importance of teachers, balancing academic responsibilities with extracurricular activities is an important aspect of the high school experience.
“My main extracurricular is art, which is really fun,” Brady said. “I also have a small part time job that I just do on Mondays. I also just try not to procrastinate very much.”
Despite the challenges of rigorous classes, Brady has prioritized time management to prevent stress.
“I feel like time management is important to both teachers and students, because it exemplifies consistency,” Brady said.
Jeff Barrows, a physics teacher, emphasized that this consistency is key to becoming a National Merit Scholar.
“It’s the mixture of skill and aptitude with the desire to do the best that they can that makes them successful.” Barrows said.
Practice assessments are commonly used by students when studying for the test. Barrows believes strongly in taking the time to practice before tests.
“See how you did and then focus on what you need to work on,” Barrows said
For her future, Brady hopes that her National Merit placement will help her with college applications and pursuit of her biology degree. Brady wants to use her education to make a difference in her community, particularly in animal care.
“I want to spread awareness about proper animal management,” Brady said. “Because I feel like lots of people, especially with smaller animals, like birds and hamsters or whatever, don’t understand what these animals actually need.”
A belief in individual capability is crucial for all students with goals, as it enhances a growth mindset and encourages students to strive for what they want to achieve, whether it be a personal, academic, or professional goal.
“When we run PSAT workshops, we spend time working on goal setting,” McMinn said. “ We try to help them be realistic in self expectations, but we also want to support them in their own lofty goals.”
In the end, Barrows believes that a belief in oneself is the most essential aspect of academic success.
“Do your best,” Barrows said. “Your best will be surprising to you, and many others.”
