Derek Is A National Merit Semifinalist

Derek is one of 60 kids in the county to make National Merit Semifinalist this year

These 60 Gwinnett students, part of the Class 2017, were chosen for this competitive process based on their college entrance exam scores. They are competing with other semifinalists from around the nation for some 7,500 National Merit scholarships, worth more than $33 million.

      Approximately 1.6 million students in more than 22,000 high schools entered the competition last school year as juniors by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as the initial screening for program entrants. The 16,000 semifinalists named in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program represent the top 1% highest scoring entrants in each state.

Leaving early last weekend to take the ACT

His school also nominated him for the U.S. Presidential Scholarship

All of these awards are great honors, but they entail yet another application\essay\process on top of his already busy school\extra curricular schedule. It's a little bit crazy right now.

"Senior Night" at the high school to learn about senior stuff like the college application process