49 Shaker Heights Students Earn National Merit and National Achievement Honors

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio, October 25, 1999 – Forty-nine Shaker students have earned one or more honors in the 1999-2000 National Merit and National Achievement scholarship competitions, again placing Shaker among the top Ohio schools. They include 19 National Merit Semifinalists (one of whom qualified as a Shaker student but has since moved to Massachusetts with her family), two National Achievement Semifinalists, 23 National Merit Commended Students, and six National Achievement Commended Students. They represent approximately 13 percent of Shaker’s current senior class – compared with 2 percent of high school seniors nationally who earn one or more of these honors.

“These are the students who set the standard for our school,” said Superintendent of Schools Mark Freeman. “They are not only outstanding scholars, but also athletes, musicians, actors, community volunteers, and mentors for other students. They enliven our school community and encourage their peers to achieve as they have.”

Shaker has consistently been among the leading schools in producing National Merit and National Achievement scholars since the programs were created. The National Merit Scholarship Program was created in 1955 to recognize the nation’s top-performing high school students, identify strong candidates for admission to highly selective institutions of higher education, and provide scholarships. The National Achievement program, instituted in 1964, recognizes the nation’s top African-American students. Semifinalist and Commended Student honors in both programs are awarded on the basis of outstanding performance on the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which nearly 1.2 million students in 20,000 U.S. high schools took last year.

Fewer than 1% of the nation’s high school seniors were named as National Merit and Achievement semifinalists this year. Semifinalists are eligible to continue competing for both the National Merit and National Achievement scholarships. To advance to finalist status, the students must maintain an outstanding academic record and show 1999 SAT scores that confirm their earlier qualifying test performance. In addition, the students must submit a self-descriptive essay and show participation and leadership in school and community activities. They will compete for some 7,600 Merit Scholarships, worth more than $28 million, that will be awarded this spring.

These outstanding scholars from Shaker Heights are: Sabiha Ahmad-Khan, National Achievement Commended Student; Hyo Bae, National Merit Semifinalist; Matthew Baringer, National Merit Commended Student; Dana Beck, National Merit Commended Student; Emily Blanton, National Achievement Commended Student; Alder Brannin, National Merit Semifinalist; Laura Chassaigne, National Merit Semifinalist (now residing with her family in the Boston area); Stephanie Chin, National Merit Commended Student; Jeremy Cohen, National Merit Semifinalist; Alexander Cole, National Merit Commended Student; Gala Copez-Sanders, National Achievement Commended Student; Stephen Courtright, National Merit Semifinalist; Melissa Currivan, National Merit Semifinalist; Tara Davis, National Achievement Semifinalist.

Also, Aaron Dibner-Dunlap, National Merit Semifinalist; Beth Dolinsky, National Merit Semifinalist; Jimmy Dunn, National Merit Commended Student; Jacob Feitler, National Merit Commended Student; Austin Frank, National Merit Semifinalist; Sarah Frisof, National Merit Commended Student; Amy Fuller, National Merit Commended Student; Francis Fungsang, National Merit Commended Student; Tara Grove, National Achievement Commended Student; Ayana Hill, National Achievement Commended Student; Jeremy Hsu, National Merit Semifinalist; John Jackson, National Achievement Commended Student; Laura Jacqmin, National Merit Commended Student; Karen Jenks, National Merit Commended Student; Whitney Karfeld, National Merit Semifinalist; Alexander Kolb, National Merit Semifinalist; Joshua Lavin, National Merit Commended Student; Jonathan Malangoni, National Merit Commended Student.

Also, John Martin, National Achievement Semifinalist and National Merit Commended Student; James McFarlane, National Merit Commended Student; Jonathan Munetz, National Merit Commended Student; Molly Nackley, National Merit Commended Student; Joy Nims, National Merit Semifinalist; Kathryn O’Connor, National Merit Commended Student; Michael Perrin, National Merit Commended Student; Christine Powers, National Merit Commended Student; Amit Ranade, National Merit Semifinalist; Gregory Rawson, National Merit Semifinalist; Sarah Ronis, National Merit Semifinalist; Lisa Samols, National Merit Semifinalist; Devaushi Singham, National Merit Semifinalist; Jonathan Slain, National Merit Commended Student; Elizabeth Turnell, National Merit Semifinalist; Yanna Weisberg, National Merit Commended Student; and Jonathan Youngner, National Merit Commended Student.

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