Science and Mathematics Governor’s School Celebrates 20 National Merit Semifinalists
The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics (GSSM) is proud to announce that 20 members of the Class of 2017 were recently named National Merit Semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). These academically motivated students are now eligible for continued competition in the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP).
GSSM’s 2017 National Merit Semifinalists are:
Maegan Albert, child of Robin and Ron Albert, of Darlington
Chris Bodkin, child of Maureen Bodkin and Christopher A. Bodkin, Sr., of Summerville
Nikki Bregman, child of Norie and Jim Bregman, of Charleston
Anish Chaluvadi, child of Dr. Purnima and Dr. Siva Chaluvadi, of Simpsonville
Hunter Damron, child of Maribeth and Greg Damron, of Edgemoor
Natalie Duprez, child of Carol and Hubert Duprez, of Fort Mill
Griffin Gatchell, child of Heather and Michael Gatchell, of Greenville
Benjamin H. Gray, child of Dr. Auston and Karen Gray, of Sumter
Isaiah Ho, child of Wing M. Lau and Dr. Chi M. Ho, of Simpsonville
Harrison Howell, child of Jonna and John Howell, Jr., of Lexington
Michelle Huang, child of Yue Yan Lin and Guang Hua Huang, of Lexington
Maya Jensen, child of Dawn and Stephen Jensen, of Blythewood
Ivey Li, child of Xiuzhen Lu and Dr. Zhenheng Li, of Aiken
Morganne May, child of Molly McKenzie, Tessa and Sean May, of Taylors
Hailey Mollica, child of Denise Santoli and James Mollica, of Okatie
Gracen Mueller, child of Kelly and the late Jeff Meuller, of Greenville
Dan Wesley Robinson, III, child of Dr. Janie M. and Dr. Dan. W. Robinson, of Greenwood
Jeffrey A. Russell, child of Kendra and Jeff Russell, of York
William Rene Schmidt, child of Edie Philips and Rob Schmidt, of Hilton Head Island
Victoria L. Young, child of Michelle and Randy Young, of Tega Cay
“We are extremely proud of our National Merit Semifinalists and all our students,” said Dr. Hector Flores, GSSM president. “It is a joy to talk to our students every day and see how they grow in intellect and character.”
NMSC chose approximately 16,000 Semifinalists from across the nation. All of the students became immediately competitive for approximately 7,600 scholarships worth more than $33 million that will be offered next spring.
The program begins with students taking the Preliminary SAT (PSAT). Semifinalists across the nation are then named based on the highest-scoring entrants in each state. A student becomes a finalist based on academic record, high school principal endorsement and an SAT score confirming their qualifying test score.
Approximately 90 percent of Semifinalists are expected to become finalists and over half of the finalists will be awarded scholarships. Awards will be announced beginning in March 2017 and concluding in June. For more information, visit www.nationalmerit.org.
About GSSM
The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) is a two-year, public, residential high school in Hartsville, SC, specializing in the advanced study of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), with a unique emphasis on economics and entrepreneurship.
GSSM’s residential program can serve as many as 288 high school juniors and seniors annually from across the state. In addition, the school impacts more than 10,000 students and teachers each year through its innovative outreach and virtual programs. Learn more by visiting www.scgssm.org.