Four Houston Independent School District graduating seniors have received $2,500 each from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which selected them from a pool of more than 15,000 outstanding students nationwide.
One of the HISD students attends Bellaire High School, two attend Carnegie Vanguard High School and one attends Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.
The students are:
Bellaire High School
Alexander T. Pantazopol
Probable career field: Law
Carnegie Vanguard High School
Isabella K. Hsu
Probable career field: Business
Aneesha Tadikonda
Probable career field: Medicine
Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
Chloe R. Evered
Probable career field: Linguistics
“We thank the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for recognizing our global scholars with this well-deserved prestigious honor,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “I am confident that as our students transition from high school to college careers, they will reach extraordinary academic heights.”
This is the second group of students this year from throughout the nation that has been named as award recipients by the NMSC.
“Both our recipients from Carnegie Vanguard High School are some of the most impressive, intelligent and positive-minded students I have ever encountered,” Principal Ramon Moss said. “They are respected by the administration, faculty and their peers.”
Moss said Isabella Hsu is Carnegie’s valedictorian this year.
The principal at Kinder HSPVA said student Chloe Evered is doubly gifted.
“It is always amazing when young people like Chloe show that our students at HSPVA are not only artistically gifted, but excel academically as well,” Principal R. Scott Allen said. “I’m thrilled to hear of this honor, and I congratulate Chloe for having an outstanding year.”
The principal at Bellaire echoed similar sentiments about Alexander Pantazopol.
“He is an exemplary student in our International Baccalaureate Programme, and he is also the leader of our nationally-ranked eMotion Dance Company,” Principal Michael McDonough said. “I could not be prouder of Alexander and all our students who have achieved great things in the face of extraordinary challenges this year.”
NMSC awards three categories of scholarships. In the first group are students who receive scholarships from the business sector. Those winners were announced in April and the list included two students from Bellaire High School and one student from Westside High School. In the current group are students who receive $2,500 scholarships provided with NMSC’s own funds. The third group of students will receive college-sponsored scholarships. The list will be released in June and July.
The National Merit Scholarship Program provides college scholarships to academically talented U.S. high school students who score well on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and fulfill additional requirements. Scholarships are provided to students from each state who have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for college success.