Release Date: 9/13/2012 Contact: Diana L. Spencer, 410-887-4243

23 BCPS students named National Merit semifinalists

TOWSON, MD— Twenty-three Baltimore County Public Schools students from seven high schools have been named semifinalists in the 58th annual National Merit Scholarship Program coordinated by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

The honored students are:

Catonsville High School
Adam T. Antoszewski
Victoria L. Monsaint-Queeney

Dulaney High School
Kushal Byatnai
Minwei Cao
Helen Gao
Fan K. Jia
Aysha Khan
Casey G. Lim
Amanda Olsen
Lisa A. Tang
Gabrielle T. Welsh

Franklin High School
Keenan E. Albee
Rebekah P. Green
Erin M. Smith

Hereford High School
Maggie R. Cason
Jesse A. Clarke
Christine K. Dreyer
Connor A. O’Rourke

Perry Hall High School
Emily R. Behnke
Vincent J. Ciattei

Pikesville High School
Jay B. Chernak

Towson High School
Andrew N. Bortvin
Colin A. Parts

“We are so proud of these students," said S. Dallas Dance, Ph.D., BCPS Superintendent. “Their achievements demonstrate their dedication to learning and inspire all of us in Team BCPS to pursue excellence. The success of any member of our learning community highlights our strengths and challenges us to ensure that all students reach their highest potential. "

Approximately 1.5 million juniors from 22,000 high schools applied for the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program by participating in the 2011 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NSMQT®). The highest scoring entrants in each state create the national pool of 16,000 semifinalists, which represents less than 1 percent of high school seniors in the nation. Most semifinalists advance to the finalist level (based on their academic records, recommendations, and SAT scores) and compete for 8,300 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $32 million.

Through its longstanding partnership with the College Board, which administers the PSAT/NSMQT, Baltimore County Public Schools provides funding so that all Grade 10 and Grade 11 students can take the PSAT/NSMQT at no charge to them or their families. The test provides practice for the SAT and provides BCPS educators with important assessments of student strengths and challenges.

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