Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation have
named Montgomery Catholic student Sofia Izer as a National Merit Scholarship
Finalist. She will compete with other finalists for some 7,600 National Merit
Scholarships worth more than $31 million.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, students
must fulfill several requirements and advance to the finalist level of the
competition. The preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
serves as an initial screening of program entrants. In addition to the PSAT
test scores, the student's academic record, community involvement, leadership
ability, and personal essay are considered when determining semifinalists.
About 90 percent of the semifinalists, who were announced in September 2019,
attained finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a
National Merit Scholarship, earning the title of Merit Scholar.
Sofia is currently a senior at Montgomery Catholic. Not only
is she a top scholar, but she is also very active in a variety of school
activities. She is a member of the Key Club, National Honor Society, and Mu
Alpha Theta. She is also a varsity cheerleader and holds a black belt in
Taekwondo. She is active in her parish, Holy Spirit Catholic Church in
Montgomery, and volunteers her time during Vacation Bible School. Sofia is an
aspiring architect who enjoys the merging of her favorite things: art, math,
and design.
Senior Clare Wilson was recognized in September 2019 for
being a National Merit Commended Scholar. While she will not have an
opportunity to participate in the National Merit Scholarship competition, she ranks
in the top 3% of all high school students nationwide who took the PSAT/NMSQT.
