By Nicole Thomas
SHS Seniors Carys Snyder, Cecilia Heard and Melinda Xu earned recognition as National Merit Semifinalists for their scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
As Semifinalists, Carys, Cecilia and Melinda are ranked among the highest scoring students in Mississippi. They are three of 16,000 academically talented students selected nationwide for the honor, which represents less than one percent of high school seniors in the country.
About 16,000 Semifinalists were named nationally in the 60th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, including 135 in Mississippi.
Carys, Cecilia and Melinda experienced a range of emotion upon learning they had been named Semifinalists. After taking the test in October, they learned their scores in December. The announcement ends months of anticipation.
“My parents are really excited,” said Melinda, whose brother Brian, a 2012 graduate of SHS, was also a National Merit Semifinalist. “I felt a little pressure to keep it in the family.”
“I was relieved,” said Carys. “It’s confirmation my hard work paid off, and I can be competitive at the national level.”
“Being a Semifinalist levels the playing field when comparing students’ knowledge nationwide,” added Cecilia.
The seniors have taken full advantage of the Advanced Placement course offerings at SHS and agree their high scores on PSAT reflect their rigorous academic coursework in Calculus and AP European History.
“The PSAT isn’t just about can you do the math,” explained Cecilia. “But do you understand the concept behind it.”
Carys credits her SHS Calculus teacher Wade Williams for really helping to understand those concepts and improve her math score.
“After I took Calculus, I was able to step back and look at the problem in different dimensions,” Carys said.
“You’re penalized for guessing on the PSAT,” Melinda added. “And since the test is timed, you have to be strategic. You don’t want to solve the problem the long way. You really have to be able to manipulate variables.”
Williams, who has taught all three students, says he was always impressed with their work ethic.
“As their teacher, it has been incredible to see how far above and beyond they go to make sure that they not only know how to work problems, but that they also understand the mathematical concepts that make the problem solving process possible,” Williams said. “Their understanding of mathematical concepts is what makes them great problems solvers who will be successful in whatever they choose to do in the future.”
Switching their focus to AP European History, Melinda recalls learning to tune out distractions during practice tests.
“Coach Adair would play music during our exams,” Melinda said. “He prepared us to be successful in the testing environment.”
“Coach Adair really challenges you,” said Cecilia. “He’s such an intense teacher, and he forces his students to become writers and thinkers as you study European history. It was really exciting to learn at the level, and I know that class helped prepare me for the PSAT.”
Carys, Cecilia, and Melinda balance their challenging academic course loads as athletes and artists.
Melinda is a talented pianist. An eleven year student, she earned Gold at the state competition for her knowledge of music theory, sight reading and technique combined with her outstanding solo performance. Melinda is also a member of the SHS swim team.
Carys, who runs cross country and track at SHS, is also working to complete her art portfolio for submission in a national competition.
Cecilia, an avid runner as well, recently returned from a study abroad experience in Chengdu, China, where she studied the Chinese language.
Already immersed in college applications, Carys, Cecilia and Melinda have written about a dozen essays between them on topics ranging from whimsical to serious. While the seniors are still exploring their options for college, Carys is considering English or history as her major, but she hopes to eventually work in the film industry. Cecilia plans to study international business while Melinda remains undecided, but they hope their prestigious recognition as National Merit Semifinalists will give them a competitive edge for scholarship offers.
“A lot of colleges give Semifinalists a more serious look,” Carys said.