by Joy Zhang ’14

At a luncheon on October 4, Principal Bill Gregory celebrated the achievements of 18 commended seniors for the 2013 National Merit Program, two semi-finalists, Emily Reed and Leah Schroeder, for the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program and one semi-finalist, Alex Porter, for the 2013 National Merit Achievement Program for black students.

The invited students had lunch in a casual setting, listing schools to which they applied, discussing their future endeavors, and sharing their study habits. The number of schools each student applied to ranged from two to a dozen. Stanford University, George Washington University, Columbia University, University of Michigan, College of William and Mary, University of Maryland, UC Berkeley, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Pittsburgh were schools that several students applied to. Many students plan on majoring in the sciences, including multiple disciplines of engineering, biology and physics. Students believe challenging oneself, working hard, reading for fun, and being involved in extracurricular activities are extremely beneficial when striving for the best.