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mokenamessenger.com news
the Mokena Messenger | April 12, 2018 | 11
Four LW students named National Merit Scholar Finalists
Submitted by Lincoln-Way
Community High School
District 210
In mid-January, Lincoln-
Way Community High
School District 210 recognized
35 total students
in a special ceremony for
outstanding academic performance
based on the
National Merit Scholarship
Corporation requirements.
Of the 35 students,
31 earned Commended
status and four earned
Semifinalist status. After
celebrating their Semifinalist
status in January, students
Alexandria Krupske
(Lincoln-Way West), Taylor
Lenburg (Lincoln-Way
Central), Lucas Nienhouse
(Lincoln-Way East) and
Karnap Patel (Lincoln-Way
East), each submitted an
application for Finalist status.
Despite the competitiveness
of the NMSC program,
all four advanced as
Finalists.
“This is the equivalent
to be named an academic
All American,” said Assistant
Superintendent of Curriculum
Tim Reilly. “These
students should be incredibly
proud of their achievement.”
According to the NMSC
website, of the 1.6 million
entrants, approximately
50,000 test takers with the
highest PSAT/NMSQT
Selection Index scores
qualify for recognition in
the National Merit Scholarship
Program. More than
two-thirds of the 50,000
high scorers on the PSAT/
NMSQT receive Letters of
Commendation in recognition
of their outstanding academic
promise. One-third
of the 50,000 high scorers
are notified that they have
qualified as Semifinalists.
From there, after submitting
additional qualifications
and an essay response to a
writing prompt, approximately
15,000 Finalists are
chosen.
When Lenburg of Lincoln-Way
Central was first
called down to the office
to notify her of her Finalist
status, she said she slightly
panicked.
“I’ve never been called
down to the office before,”
Lenburg said. “So I was
actually scared; I thought
I was in trouble…Then it
kind of occurred to me that
maybe it was about the National
Merit recognition.”
When Principal Steve
Provis presented her with
her certificate of achievement,
Lenburg’s fears disappeared.
While at Lincoln-
Way Central, she has kept
busy by participating in
Mathletes, Guitar Studio
Ensemble, Tri-M Honor Society,
National Honor Society
and AFJROTC.
While she’s excited for
college, she’s still trying to
decide which one she’d like
to attend.
“I’m choosing between
Illinois Wesleyan and Knox
College; I’m thinking I want
to go pre-law,” she said. “If
not, I’ll major in psychology
and decide when I get
there, but either way, I think
graduate school is in my future.”
Finalist Nienhouse of
Lincoln-Way East was excited
to reach Finalist status.
For the essay portion of the
NMSC application, he was
asked to write about someone
who has been inspirational
in his life. Nienhouse
chose his grandmother.
“She’s got a plethora of
medical conditions, and she
still always acts not for herself,
but for everyone else,”
he said.
When he heard letters
were mailed notifying students
of their status, he
“bolted out” to his mailbox
and opened the letter with
his Finalist status.
“I was like, ‘Nice!’” he
[Clockwise from top left] Lincoln-Way West’s Alexandria Krupske, Lincoln-Way Central’s
Taylor Lenburg, and Lincoln-Way East’s Karnap Patel and Lucas Nienhouse were named
National Merit Scholar Finalists. Photo submitted
said. “I’m a twin, so having
two kids going to college is
a big monetary deal for my
parents.”
Nienhouse said that his
academic performance and
Finalist status will help him
secure scholarships.
“By designating schools
I’d like to attend on the
National Merit website, I
can get scholarship benefits
for my Finalist status,”
he said.
Although some students
will attempt to “lighten the
load” of their classes and
activities during their senior
year, Nienhouse has kept
himself incredibly busy
and dedicated. He is part of
Computer Club and Mathletes,
and is also the current
president of Gamers Club.
Nienhouse is a member of
National Honor Society, Mu
Alpha Theta, Pi Sigma Pi
and Science National Honor
Society. His favorite class
is calculus BC, where he
earned over 100 percent last
semester and aims to do the
same during his final semester
of high school.
Patel, who also earned a
perfect score on his ACT,
earned National Merit Finalist
status as well. During
his time at Lincoln-Way
East, Patel has been a part
of the National Honor Society,
Mu Alpha Theta, Science
National Honors Society,
Mathletes, Computer
Club, Gamers Club and
was also the co-captain of
the Ultimate Frisbee Team.
This year, he joined Track
and Field to give shot put
and discus a try.
Patel wants to study aerospace
engineering, and is
still waiting to hear back
from a few of the six colleges
to which he’s applied.
“A lot of colleges have
merit-based scholarships,
so I’m sure it helps me
there,” he said. “One of the
colleges that I’m really interested
in right now is University
of Michigan; I know
their aerospace engineering
program is really good…U
of I is also another one I’m
looking at; I was really impressed
by their clubs that
related to aerospace.”
Patel said he was able to
look at “some higher tiered
colleges” due to his National
Merit Finalist status,
as well as his perfect ACT
score. He looks forward to
receiving responses over
the next few weeks before
making his final decision.
“I have good options,” he
said.
Of earning Finalist status,
Krupske, said: “It’s always
exciting because of all the
scholarships that can come
along with it, so it opened
up opportunities for colleges
that I may not have
looked at if I didn’t win
this.”
In her essay application
for NMSC, Krupske wrote
about her job as a math tutor
and how she unexpectedly
enjoyed it. Her involvement
in various clubs
and activities has kept her
busy at Lincoln-Way West.
Krupske is a part of National
Honor Society, Math
Honors Society, Scholastic
Bowl, Mathletes and Bowling.
She is also president of
Key Club. She applied to
20 total colleges, writing a
different essay for each application.
“I’m deciding between
Northeastern University,
University of Southern
California and UCLA,”
she said. “I want to study
finance, and some schools
will offer the opportunity
to merge entrepreneurship
with finance, so that would
be my preference,” she says.