Six New Rochelle High School seniors have been named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, joining about 16,000 other students across the U.S. who received the distinction in the 65-year-old annual competition.
The NRHS students are Stephen Bartell, Aaron Cohen, Martina Freed, Abigail Kazakov, Maya Schloss and Kate Spillane. The academically skilled students have reached the first major step in competing for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring.
“It’s nice to see our hard work rewarded,” said Bartell.
More than 1.5 million juniors in 21,000 high schools entered the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2018 preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship qualifying test. The pool of semifinalists, representing less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
“These students are great examples of the high level of achievement we see from students in New Rochelle High School,” said NRHS Interim Principal Joseph Starvaggi. “We are incredibly proud of them for the hard work and dedication they have shown and continue to show.”
Bartell plans to major in math in college. He said NRHS has given him many opportunities to pursue his interests. “There are a lot of academic resources here,” said Bartell. “There are a lot of courses to take and a variety of offerings if you know what you’re passionate about.”
Freed is also interested in math and echoed Bartell’s sentiments about opportunities at NRHS. “There are a lot of options,” she said. “With the number of classes that you can take – some of them very specific in their topics – it’s almost like a college.”
The seniors are involved in a variety of organizations, clubs and activities, including the National Honor Society and the honor societies for specific subjects.
Cohen said the school’s clubs, such as the Robotics Team and Academic Team, complement the classes in preparing him for his plans to become a physicist.“ Physics is the backbone of all the sciences,” he said. “It explains everything that happens.”
Kazakov plans to become a doctor. She is deciding between adult internal medicine and dermatology. “I’ve taken a lot of science classes here – physics, biology, chemistry – that will prepare me for medical school,” she said.
Schloss also plans to enter medicine as a pediatric surgeon. “I like working with kids and I find surgery very interesting,” she said. “I’m very detail oriented, so the field requires a lot of the skills I have.”
Spillane plans to be a mechanical engineer to seek solutions for some of the world’s challenging problems. “There are many great teachers and guidance counselors who are willing to help you here, as well as amazing students who are willing to push you to do better,” Spillane said of NRHS. To become a finalist, a semifinalist, working with a high school official, must submit a scholarship application with information on the student’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities and employment, as well as honors and awards earned. Most of the semifinalists – about 15,000 – are expected to advance to the finalist level in February
