PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE PAGE 2
Two Anoka-Hennepin students named National Merit Scholarship finalists
Two Anoka-Hennepin seniors could potentially join the ranks of such notable past National Merit Scholars as Bill Gates , Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts , and Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos .
Jacob Coenen , a senior at Champlin Park High School ( CPHS ), and Annrose Jerry , a senior at Blaine High School ( BHS ), have both been named National Merit Scholarship finalists .
“ I don ’ t know if I ’ ve ever had anybody make it this far ,” said CPHS school counselor Jill Svoboda . “ I ’ ve been here for 17 years and I think one year I had someone make it as a semifinalist , but I ’ ve never had anyone make it this far . So this is huge .”
Students are chosen for the honor based on their PSAT scores , which is the practice version of the SAT they take during their junior year . About 1.5 million students take the test , and from those scores , about 16,000 semifinalists are chosen , who must then submit applications to become a finalist . Of the 15,000 Finalists nationwide , 2,500 will receive a one-time $ 2,500 National Merit Scholarship , and about 5,000 will receive college and corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships ranging from $ 500 to $ 2,000 per year .
Finalists will be notified over the next couple of months whether they have been named National Merit Scholars .
But possibly more important than winning a National Merit Scholarship itself is the access to other college scholarships available after simply being named a finalist .
“ Just getting to this level and receiving this recognition opens doors for students at many institutions of higher education ,” said Eileen Artemakis , executive director of public information for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation .
For instance , at the University of Texas at Dallas — which is one college Jerry is considering — finalists can get full tuition and fee coverage , a $ 4,000 per-semester stipend for books , supplies and other expenses , and a $ 1,500 per-semester oncampus housing stipend , as well as a one-time study abroad stipend of $ 6,000 . All of which the university estimates totals more than $ 100,000 over the course of four years .
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I try to get involved in as many AP classes as I can .
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- Annrose Jerry , Blaine High School senior
The University of Minnesota - Twin Cities , where Coenen has chosen to go and where Jerry is also considering , offers several scholarships that give preference to National Merit finalists , ranging from $ 1,000 per year all the way up to $ 10,000 a year for four years .
More than 50 colleges around the country will automatically award full tuition scholarships to finalists , including the University of Minnesota - Morris .
So just being named a finalist is a pretty big deal , said BHS school counselor Annette Pare .
“ I would say it is a very big deal . We ’ ve had maybe one other finalist that I can remember in the last few years . It ’ s very rare ,” she said .
Champlin Park High School senior Jacob Coenen and Blaine High School senior Annrose Jerry have been named National Merit Scholarship finalists .
Both Coenen and Jerry said they are excited to have made it this far . And both are very highachieving students .
Coenen has a 4.2 weighted grade point average ( GPA ) and takes honors , Advanced Placement ( AP ) and International Baccalaureate classes , as well as College in the Schools ( CIS ) classes , which are classes from the University of Minnesota taught directly at CPHS for college credit . He is the captain of the robotics team , which is going to regionals this month , and was a member of the music listening team that recently won the state championship . He also plays the violin in orchestra .
And on top of that , he ’ s a really nice guy , Svoboda said . “ Not only is he bright , but he is about as polite as they come ,” she said . “ Which makes it even nicer to know that he ’ s earned this .”
Coenen said he plans to major in computer science at the University of Minnesota , and is really glad for the scholarship opportunities that come with being named a finalist .
“ I didn ’ t realize how big a deal it was until Ms . Svoboda called me down and she got really excited and started taking pictures ,” he said . “ But it ’ s really good . It will help a lot with paying for everything .”
Jerry has been very intentional about her high school academic plans since ninth grade , Pare said .
“ Already at that point she was thinking down the road ,” she said . “ So that stood out to me . Annrose has just been very self-advocating , very mature , and kind . She ’ s fantastic .”
A member of the National Honors Society ( NHS )
and two-time winner of the President ’ s Volunteer Service Award , Jerry has been involved in the Center for Engineering , Mathematics and Science ( CEMS ) program at BHS for the past three years .
“ I just really like applying math and science to the real world and studying these problems around us ,” she said . “ And I try to get involved in as many AP classes as I can . I ’ ve always enjoyed them ; the teachers just seem really passionate about what they ’ re teaching .”
She was involved in speech and debate until last year , and this year she joined the ThreeSixty Journalism program — a nonprofit program at the University of St . Thomas that helps diverse Minnesota youth tell the stories of their lives and communities — as a news team leader . She is looking at a pre-medical track in college , with a potential economics minor .
But her real passion is music : she plays piano in jazz band and the flute in both band and orchestra , and she is a two-time all-state flautist for band . Music is what helps her deal with the stress of school life , she said , and doing things you ’ re passionate about is important .
“ When I first heard about the National Merit program , I was very intimidated because it seems like finalists are like the top one percent of high schoolers . But it is doable if you put in the work . I definitely did a lot of practice tests , so I felt prepared ,” she said . “ So it ’ s great to focus on test prep , but don ’ t give up what you ’ re passionate about just for grades . There ’ s a balance , but colleges always look for passions . So don ’ t give up your passions .” ■
From Superintendent Law continued from page 1
to attain a four-year degree . In our community survey , 90 percent agreed that the district was meeting most or all student learning needs . While these numbers are strong indicators of the direction of district schools , we remain motivated to continually improve on our goal of preparing all students .
All of our staff plays a role in helping students achieve their dreams . In early spring , the district honored more than 400 staff members who have served Anoka-Hennepin for 25 years or more . This group represents secretaries , para-educators , custodians , child nutrition , teachers , administrators and others . Also recognized were nine employees who went “ Above & Beyond ” to support student success . Each year it is difficult to limit the number awarded , as our schools are full of employees who exceed expectations in the work they do .
Events like these are reminders that schools are in the people business and having the right people in place is essential . I want to thank the more than 100 staff members who are entering retirement at the end of this school year , and assure the community that we will do our best to recruit people with the same passion and commitment to students .
As we plan for the future of our district and enrollment starts to grow , it ’ s a time to work with our community to assess facility needs . As many of our schools celebrate their 50th anniversary , we need the community to weigh-in on our needs for the next decade and beyond . The School Board has established a “ Fit for the Future ” task force that will be working over the next several months to engage in this discussion . Updates will be shared on the district website or directly at anoka . k12 . mn . us / fff .
As important as it is to have quality staff , maintaining an informed and committed community is essential to helping students reach their potential and realize their dreams . Thank you for supporting our students as they complete another great school year .
Please join me in celebrating the success of our students and providing a message of support for our graduating seniors . After all , in the effort to prepare students , it takes all of us . ■