Every October, approximately 1.6 million juniors across the country take the PSAT. About 16,000 of these students who score in the top 1% earn the title of National Merit Semifinalist. 7,500 of these semifinalists will move on to be named National Merit Finalists. These finalists earn more than $32 million in scholarships. Congratulations to our very own CCA seniors, Samuel Pettit and Emma Waite, for earning National Merit Finalist recognition.
Here is what Samuel Pettit had to say about his achievement and experience as a CCA student:
Q: What did you do to prepare for the PSAT?
A: I took classes at KD College Prep during the summer between 10th and 11th grades. The classes I took required time and effort, but they made me more confident in my test taking. In addition, the overall education I received at CCA helped me prepare for the PSAT and other standardized tests.
Q: Has becoming a National Merit Finalist opened up any doors for you?
A: There are many full-tuition scholarships available, including one that I have applied for at Baylor.
Q: What project or assignment challenged you the most as a student? Why?
A: The literary analysis for The Odyssey that I wrote my freshman year was challenging because it was the first major take-home paper we had to write.
Q: What subject do you think prepares you the most for life after high school? Why?
A: My science classes have prepared me the most for college because I plan to pursue a career in medicine.
Q: What will you miss the most after you graduate from CCA?
A: I will miss my soccer team and coaches, but mainly I will miss seeing my friends every day as we go off to different colleges.
Q: Which school tradition are you most proud of?
A: I’m very proud of the “adopt-a-senior” tradition. I remember how much I looked up to my seniors and I really enjoy hanging out with the kids in my class. It’s also special for me because I get to be the senior for my little sister Gabrielle’s class.
Q: What’s your favorite CCA memory?
A: My favorite CCA memory is the art field trip we took to the zoo my junior year.
Here is what Emma Waite had to say about her achievement and experience as a CCA student:
Q: Has becoming a National Merit Finalist opened up any doors for you?
A: I have received many interest letters and scholarship offers since being notified of my National Merit Finalist status.
Q: Where are you hoping to attend college and what will you study?
A: I am hoping to study biomedical engineering on a pre-med track at Rice or MIT.
Q: How did being a student at CCA help you prepare for being a National Merit Finalist?
A: CCA has built up my confidence and allowed me to do my best without being afraid.
Q: What subject do you think prepares you the most for life after high school? Why?
A: I think Chemistry does the best job of preparing us for college because it is very rigorous, we have to get up even earlier than usual, and we are trusted with more responsibility than in most high school classes.
Q: Which school tradition are you most proud of?
A: I love the homecoming walls. They’re always so festive and beautiful. I just wish we left them up for longer.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: I will have recently graduated medical school and be working as a biomedical engineer. I hope to be able to do research and design because I have some ideas for inventions that I would love to test out.
Q: What’s your favorite CCA memory?
A: My favorite CCA memory is from IHOP after strike for musical. It was after midnight and we were all laughing hysterically because we were so tired.
CCA is proud of the excellence and hard work displayed by Samuel and Emma. We believe they will both move on to do kingdom work in their fields with the excellence they displayed in their high school studies.
