DIOCESE—The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has named a number of students from the Diocese of Charleston as semi-finalists in its annual competition.
National Merit Semifinalists rank in the top one percent of high school seniors while Commended Students rank in the top five percent.
At Bishop England High School in Charleston, Thomas Hanahan, Elizabeth Blackwood and Preston Manning were all chosen as National Merit Semifinalists; and Hannah Goeldi was recognized as a Commended Student.
At Cardinal Newman School in Columbia, Angelica Robichaud was named a National Merit Semifinalist, and Alex Cunningham is a Commended Student.
At St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Greenville, Philip Coburn, Keyes Gilmer, Paul List, Patrick McLear and William Tierney were named National Merit Semifinalists. Julian Hodge and Charles Vandross were named National Achievement Semifinalists, which is an academic competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black American high school students. Glenn Andrew, Christopher Baumgarten, Gunnar Johanning and Brooks McCoy were named Commended Students.
Sister Pamela Smith, principal of John Paul II School in Ridgeland, the newest diocesan school, noted that they are not eligible to participate in the competition this year, as the new school only goes up to the 10th grade right now.
