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Two WSD Students Named National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist
October 1, 2021
The WSD is proud to announce that Mason Neal and Ronan Townes from Timberland High School have been selected as Semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Additionally, Jaden Zelidon from Liberty High School and Tanvi Dahuja from Timberland High School were named to the list of National Merit Commended Students.
The National Merit Scholarship Program awards academically talented high school seniors with over 7,500 scholarships equating to roughly $30 million dollars. Merit Scholars must have exceptional academic ability and show great potential for success in competitive and meticulous college studies. Semifinalists are ranked among the top 1% of all U.S. high school seniors for their scholastic achievement. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT/ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
Mason Neal has a weighted GPA of 4.28, is ranked 15th in his class at Timberland, and scored a 34 on the ACT. Neal has been a member of the Scholar Bowl for four years and is currently the varsity captain, he is a member of the National Honor Society and a former member of Missouri Youth and Government, Chess Club and French Club. In college, Neal intends to major in actuarial science or mathematics.
Ronan Townes has a weighted GPA of 4.25, is currently ranked 20th in his class at Timberland, and scored a 34 on the ACT. He participates in varsity Scholar Bowl, Dungeons and Dragons Club, which he co-founded, and is the current President of the Chess Club. Townes plans to major in computer science during his collegiate studies.
The WSD had several students reach National Merit Commended designation, and they will receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise.
Jaden Zelidon has a weighted GPA of 4.45, is currently ranked second in his class at Liberty, and scored a 32 on the ACT. He remains busy with National Honor Society Presidential duties, Key Club, serving as the District Secretary, and serves as president of HOSA, president of Class Officers, is the Co-Captain of Speech and Debate, and is involved in Mock Trial and Link Crew. Zelidon is also a member of the marching band as the percussion captain and spent three years on the swim team.
Tanvi Dahuja has a weighted GPA of 4.0, is ranked 60th in her class at Timberland, and scored a 33 on the ACT. Dahuja participates in Youth and Government, HOSA and National Honor Society; she also co-founded a club centered around emergency preparedness and first aid. She plans to major in environmental science and psychology.
About 90% of the semifinalists are expected to be named finalists, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship. To become a finalist, a semifinalist must submit an extensive scholarship application that includes a strong academic record and an account of their participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment and any honors or awards. Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some of these students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.