Seven Brother Martin students have been honored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for their high scores on the October 2016 PSAT exam.
Two seniors, Joseph Aguda and Jackson Vicknair, received top honors and were named National Merit Semifinalists.
Five others were commended for their performance: Jeremy Baier, John Buchert, Aaron Daniels, Peter Davis and John Heraty.
Aguda has been at Brother Martin since the seventh grade and is a member of the Cross Country Team, National Honor Society and has served in numerous organizations including Student Council, the marching and symphonic bands, the Key Club and Mu Alpha Theta.
Joseph Aguda (left) and Jackson Vicknair
Vicknair also has been a Crusader since the seventh grade, and is a member of the Student Council, National Honor Society, the Quiz Bowl Team, the Cross Country Team, Mu Alpha Theta and Close-Up, among others.
Baier is a member of the National Honor Society, Cross Country Team, Crusaders for Life, the Literary Magazine and has served in a number of other academic and service clubs.
Buchert is a member of the National Honor Society and of the Crusader varsity football team, Mu Alpha Theta and the Track & Field Team, among other groups.
Daniels is a member of the National Honor Society, World Culture Club, Mu Alpha Theta and the Behavioral Ecology and Environmental Science Research Team, among other organizations.
Davis is on the National Honor Society and the First Tech Challenge Club, among other organizations.
Heraty is a member of the National Honor Society, Crusaders for Life, the Magic Club and the Dionysians, among others.
“At Brother Martin, we provide students with a curriculum that is valuable and opens options for them in higher education and beyond,” said Ryan Gallagher, principal of Brother Martin. “We are so proud of these young men for this academic success, and we hope that we have nurtured in them a habit of lifelong learning, and taught them the skills to build a life following good choices and traditional Christian values.”
Vicknair and Aguda join some 16,000 other seniors around the nation who will be considered for 7,500 National Merit scholarships worth $39 million. Together, all semifinalists represent less than 1 percent of the nation’s graduating class, and are the highest scoring entrants in each state.
Each applicant must submit a detailed scholarship application, which includes participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on a qualifying test.
About 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program last year.
According to the program’s press release, the recognition “honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The program does not measure the quality or effectiveness of education within a school, system, or state.”
Congratulations to all of our honorees!
