This year, Miami Lakes Educational Center (MLEC) is proud to announce that nine students were recognized by the College Board as National Hispanic Merit Scholars and three as semifinalists for National Merit Scholars.
Students in the eleventh grade of high school enter National Merit Scholarship Competition (NMSC) by taking the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test and National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which serves as an initial screening of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year, and by meeting published program entry and participation requirements.
Students who score in the top percentiles, receive national recognition and qualify for thousands of dollars in scholarships. NMSC uses the Selection Index score (the sum of the critical reading, mathematics, and writing skills scores) on the PSAT/NMSQT for program entrants to qualify and to designate groups of students to be honored in the competitions it conducts.
The Hispanic Scholars named were Noel Membrine, Nicholas Vo, Alejandro Murillo, Adrian Traviezo, Luis Areeaga, Victor Pino, Flavia Cuervo, Samantha Cardet, Karina Padron. The National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) identifies academically outstanding Hispanic/Latino high school students. Each year, the NHRP honors about 5,000 of the highest-scoring students from over 250,000 Hispanic/Latino juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT.
These students are from the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Mariana Islands and the Marshall Islands, as well as U.S. citizens attending schools abroad. Approximately 200 of the top-scoring PPAA students from Puerto Rico are also included.
Although the NHRP does not provide a financial reward, being named is an important academic recognition, and this achievement should be indicated on college applications. NHRP is proud to honor outstanding students and make this information available to subscribing colleges and universities that are particularly interested in communicating with academically exceptional Hispanic/Latino students.
Three of the scholars, Samantha Cardet, Noel Membrine and Nicholas Vo, are semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship. In February, they will learn if they qualify at the top nationwide. If so, there are a series of scholarships that they will receive, as well as recognition.
For more information about NMSC, visit www.nationalmerit.org.