Lourdes Central Catholic Senior Luke Partsch has been named a National Merit Semifinalist by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Luke is the son of Dave and Tammy Partsch of Nebraska City.
The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. Students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2018 Preliminary SAT/PSAT, which serves as an initial screen of applicants. The Semifinalists represent the highest-scoring students in each state.
The approximately 16,000 Semifinalists will continue in the competition for 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million. To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed schol-arship application in which they provide information about a Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment and honors received. Scholarship winners are announced next spring and summer.
Lourdes Central Catholic Senior, Cathy Shawhan, has been named a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Cathy is the daughter of Buck and Amber Shawhan of Nebraska City.
About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Approximately 1.5 million Juniors take the PSAT/NMSQT every year. The top 3.3% are recognized as Commended Scholars.
The young men and women being named Commended Students have demonstrating outstanding potential for academic success, commented a spokesperson for NMSC. These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.
