Cherokee Students Earn National Merit Honors

Eight Cherokee County School District high school seniors have been named 2013 National Merit Semi-Finalists. 

The designation is based on outstanding performance on the 2011 PSAT and qualified these students to compete for 8,300 scholarships worth more than $32 million.  Of the 1.5 million juniors in 22,000 high schools who took the 2011 PSAT, approximately 16,000 were named National Merit Semi-Finalists. 

To be named Finalists, students must have a superior academic record, a recommendation from their Principal and an SAT score that's equivalent to or higher than their PSAT score, and they must submit an application and essay.  Scholarships winners will be named in the spring.

The Semi-Finalists are:

Creekview High School

• Victoria L. Cochran

Etowah High School

• Alyssa K. Baker
• Ahila Manivannan
• Duncan M. Morgan

River Ridge High School

• Ian A. Donn
• Connor X. Wilkinson

Woodstock High School

• Sara E. Graf
• Elena E. Ruiz.

They were recognized during the Cherokee County School Board meeting on Thursday, Oct. 18.

Eighteen students have been awarded National Merit Letters of Commendation, which recognize students who earn a PSAT score in the top 50,000 of the more than 1.5 million students who take the test.

The recipients are:

Cherokee High School

• Jebb Ricketts

Creekview High School

• Adam Geller
• Tracy Hall
• Madeline R. Ryan

Etowah High School

• Brandon Brooks
• Christopher Carpentier
• Braden Gathercole
• Hunter Hayes
• Jamie Rule
• Anna Claire Smith

River Ridge High School

• Kaitlyn Herman
• Emma O’Bryant

Sequoyah High School

• Savannah Chappelear
• Margaret “Maggie” Hartman
• Julia Nailor

Woodstock High School

• Angela L. Banks
• Joshua Z. Chang
• William Pippin