From left: Fernan Chong, Ali Khurshid, Riley Latham, Moises Rueda, Bryce King PHOTO BY: ANDY ADAMS
Lufkin High School seniors Ali Khurshid and Bryce King have been named Commended Students in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program. According to a letter sent to the LHS principal, these two students are among 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation for scoring in the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.6 million students who entered the competition by taking the SAT/National Merit Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
“The young men and women being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” said a spokesperson from the National Merit program. The spokesperson went on to say,”These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation.”
Three LHS students, Riley Latham, Fernan Chong, Moises Rueda were named in the National Hispanic Recognition Program. This award is given to students who:
- Take the PSAT/NMSQT in October of their junior year
- Are at least one-quarter Hispanic/Latino
- Achieve the minimum required PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index score (this qualifying level may vary by state, region, and territory each year)
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher by the middle of their junior year
There are about 5,000 recognized students out of the 250,000 Hispanic/Latino juniors who take the test.