Four seniors chosen as finalists in scholarhsip competetion

Thursday’s School meeting brought news that four St. Andrew’s seniors have advanced to finalist status in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). VI Formers Theo DuBose, Conrad Lee and Maggie Liu are Finalists in the 2008 Competition for National Merit Scholarships, a competition to honor and reward academic excellence established in 1955. Of the 1.4 million entrants, some 15,000 are chosen as finalists. The NMSC selects recipients based on the Finalist's academic record, two sets of test scores, a faculty recommendation, information about the student's activities and leadership, and the Finalist's own essay.

VI Former Esi Hutchful is a finalist in the 2008 Competition for National Achievement Scholarships, an academic competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black American high school students. Of the more than 140,000 students who currently enter the National Achievement Program each year, approximately 1,300 qualify as finalists, from which pool about 800 Achievement Scholar Designees are chosen and awarded on a regional representation basis.

Esi Hutchful, Maggie Liu and Theo DuBose

“It's pretty exciting,” said Theo DuBose, “not only because college will cost less, but also because I get to be part of a group with such great members as our own [classics teacher] Mr. Childers.”

“Senior year has been the culmination of my experiences at St. Andrew's,” said Maggie Liu. “So much has happened; the college process has definitely been a looming presence, but I was really glad to have created more memories at St. Andrew's. The college process for me was very unexpected; I thought I knew the type of school I wanted to attend and what kind of person I was. At the end of the process, I am at a place where I had never pictured myself before, but very happy at that.”

Academic Dean John Austin presented each Finalist with a Certificate of Merit from the NMSC at School meeting.