Tascosa Senior Named National Merit Finalist and 12 Other Students Recognized

Posted Date: 06/02/2020

February 19, 2014 - Each year thousands of Amarillo students take the PSAT/NMSQT which serves as a preliminary SAT for students and identifies top test takers. Students selected by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for program recognition are notified through their high school counseling office and by mail.

More than two-thirds of the high scoring students to take the PSAT/NMSQT receive the commended scholar commendation. Though these students do not go on to compete for a National Merit Scholarship, they may go on to be candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses. The other third of high scoring students qualify to be semifinalists. These are academically talented young people chosen to represent the state they tested in. Semifinalists are eligible to apply for the National Merit Scholarship upon advancing to finalist standing. Students who are selected as finalists receive special certificates and are the group of students which all winners of National Merit Scholarship are chosen from.

Black students are eligible for the National Achievement and Hispanic students are eligible for the National Merit Hispanic programs when they take the SAT/NMSQT.

National Merit Finalist:

• Isaiah Smith, Tascosa

National Merit Commended:

• William George, Amarillo High
• Micah Gillezeau, Amarillo High
• Gou Han, Amarillo High
• Aastha Trehan, Amarillo High
• Talia Crist, Tascosa
• Samson Wood, Tascosa

National Merit Hispanic Scholar:

• Leslie Larue, Amarillo High
• Gabrielle Bechyne, Amarillo High
• Micah Gillezeau, Amarillo High
• Jennifer Velasquez, Caprock
• Matthew Noriega, Tascosa

National Achievement Finalist:

• Isaiah Smith, Tascosa

National Achievement Outstanding Participant:

• Rahel Tekeste, Amarillo High