Three WPHS Students Named National Merit Semifinalists
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Proud parents and school officials gathered at Wheeling Park High School on Wednesday to celebrate the three Wheeling Park High School students earning National Merit Scholarship semifinalist status.
Seniors Grant Kenamond, Ryan Linder and Kathryn Prather now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring. The three WPHS students are among more than 16,000 Semifinalists named to the program.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must meet several requirements to advance to the finalist level, including a consistently very high academic performance in any college courses taken. Approximately 95% of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
The semifinalist distinction was earned through the recipients' junior year PSAT scores, as the three Park students were some of the highest-scoring entrants in the state. After WPHS had no students named to the program last year, WPHS Principal Meredith Dailer said the three WPHS semifinalists this year are "all top of the line."
"Each of them has worked so hard and are involved in so many things in the high school," added Dailer. "They're really everything you'd want to see in a student."
She explained that apart from their impressive PSAT scores, each Seminfinalist's schedule is "filled with college-level and dual credit courses," showing that each of them "challenges themselves each and every day."
Beyond challenging course loads, each semifinalist boasted a long list of extracurriculars.
Grant Kenamond is a member of the debate team and tennis team at WPHS, along with being an orchestra member. He is also the founder of the Linguistics Club and a member of the Key Club.
Beyond school, Kenamond has immersed himself in math and science competitions. He has competed in the Open Round of the North American Computational Linguistics Open competition and was one of 10 students in the Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society to qualify for the National Chemistry Olympiad Exam.
"I knew about National Merit and everything beforehand, but I did not necessarily know that I would get it," said Kenamond on the recognition. "I'm just honored to be one of the several this year to represent Wheeling Park High School on a national level."
Ryan Linder said he thought he had a "good chance" at receiving semifinalist status but did not expect "such a big show," with the semifinalists' parents, along with WPHS principals, guidance counselors and teachers gathering to commemorate the students.
"I feel like my hard work is starting to pay off," said Linder. "Throughout my four years at Park, this is definitely the biggest recognition I've received."
Linder attributed his success in school to his family and teachers who have supported him "in and outside of the classroom." He added that his college aspirations of majoring in exercise physiology or kinesiology were inspired by his chemistry teacher, Courtney Redilla, and anatomy teacher, Kevin Orth, who led him "in that direction."
Outside of the classroom, Linder is a member of the varsity basketball team and the golf team. He also does public address for softball and men's and women's soccer at WPHS and participates in the choir as a member of the Young Patriots.
Like her peers, Kathryn Prather is highly involved in and outside of the classroom, as she is hot off of a paid summer internship at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Joking that much of what she did in D.C. was "classified," Prather explained she "worked in material science and developing new materials for specific applications."
Because of her eight weeks spent in the lab this summer, Prather just became eligible to play at the WPHS women's soccer team's senior night. Apart from soccer, Prather is a member of the orchestra, along with participating in the Wheeling Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Prather is also a member of the math team and participates in the Science Bowl and Quiz Bowl teams. She was also just named Vice President of WPHS's FBLA chapter.
The semifinalist distinction is important for Prather, who said the recognition was "definitely good timing" as she is applying to a "decently long list" of colleges.
Dailer added that the award will set the three students up for success "beyond high school into college," giving them another "feather in their hat" to use on college admissions.
"I know several of them are applying to very competitive schools," said Dailer. "So this is a great way to set themselves apart from others in the pack."
On a personal note, Dailer added that she knows how much the award means to the students and their families, saying she was "very proud and excited for them."
"As a school, too, we're very proud because this is all about the kids," said Dailer. "It's about the teachers and the curriculum that we're able to offer them, and it shows that we're still moving in a great direction."
The WPHS students are three of the four Northern Panhandle students who earned the honor this year. Weir High's Andrew Manteau also earned the designation.