Local Students Qualify as National Merit Semifinalists

Prince William County Schools announced that National Merit Scholarship Program has named nine county 12th grade students as semifinalists in their national scholarship competition; among these students three attend Patriot High School.

Patriot seniors Benjamin E. DelToro, Alexander J. Kourmadas, and Robert O. Dulin join the nationwide pool of semifinalists in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program, who will compete for one of the 7,600 Merit Scholarship awards, which combined are worth more than $33 million.

“About 1.4 million juniors entered the program by taking the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.,” a PWCS spokesperson said. “Now in their senior year, these PWCS students are among the highest scoring entrants from Virginia and join less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors who are continuing to the next stage of this competition.”

Kourmadas, who is dually enrolled at Patriot and Governor’s School @ Innovation Park, credits his achievement to the support of his parents and teachers.

“I attribute much of my academic success to my parents, who devoted a great deal of time and effort to raising me in a knowledge-dense environment,” Kourmadas said. “My questions about the world have been answered by my father at a college level since I first started asking them. The remainder of the credit may be distributed between the great teachers at Patriot HS and the Governor's School @ Innovation Park.”

Meanwhile, Dulin, who wants to study political science in college next year, attributes his success to his love of learning.

“A good attitude towards learning--I learn because I enjoy it, not because I have to,” he said.

To advance to finalist and be considered for Merit Scholarships, semifinalists must have outstanding high school academic records, have the endorsement of their school principals, and submit SAT scores to confirm their earlier qualifying test performances.

Semifinalists also complete detailed applications, which includes self-descriptive essays and evidence of leadership and community activities.

The meaning of this achievement hasn’t escaped these students.

“ I appreciate the distinction, and I'm going to continue working harder,” Dulin said.

“Being a semi-finalist means that I'm a bit closer to going to a good college, being an educated adult, and contributing to scientific progress,” Kourmadas  said. “Recognition for what success I've already achieved is greatly appreciated, but it isn't an end goal. I hope that it will balance the college admissions process in my favor, and the opportunity to progress as a thinker in college is what really excites me.”

Other students throughout the county who have qualified as semifinalists include: Sydney A. Jordan (Stonewall Jackson High School), Erica T. O’Donnel (Forest Park High School), Aren G. Porta (Woodbridge High School), Charles Smith (Osbourn Park High School), Ian A. Ware (Hylton High School), and Justin J. Yum (Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology).