12 Seniors Receive National Merit Scholarship Commendations

Garden City High School Seniors named as Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Program at the October School Board Meeting with School Board President Kenneth J. Monaghan (back row, second from right) and Superintendent Robert Feirsen (back row, right).

At the October meeting of the Garden City School District Board of Education, the school board recognized 12 scholastically talented seniors who have been named Commended Students in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Program.

They are Madeline Adams, Caitlin Crowley, Gemma Donofrio, Michael Ketigian, Gregory Kramer, David Logan, Matthew Losardo, Christine Muller, Tyler Pewarski, Jeffrey Pititto, Colin Quinn, and Pamela Wegener.

The students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.4 million students who entered the 2008 competition by taking the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT(r)). This school year, about 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation have been recognized for their exceptional academic promise.

The Garden City students have received letters of commendation from the High School and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which conducts the program.

"The young people named Commended Students in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Program are distinguished by their strong academic performance in this rigorous competition," a National Merit Scholarship Spokesperson said. "Our nation's pursuit of educational excellence can be furthered by publicly honoring these outstanding students and by acknowledging the important role schools play in fostering their development. We hope that this recognition will contribute to their educational opportunities and encourage all students to strive to realize their potential."