NH and ME Students Chosen as Candidates For National Merit Scholar Semi-Finals

According to a report in The Patch, The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of about 16,000 semifinalists in the 64th annual National Merit Scholarship Program last week.

Two students from The Academy for Science and Design in Nashua have been named semifinalists, Ian Coolidge (Hollis) and Christopher Couto (Londonderry.)  These two seniors have an opportunity to continue the competition on a National level, competing for scholarships worth more than $31 million to be offered in the Spring.

There were 6 more other students at ASD that were named National Merit Commended students.  One of which was my stepson, Wesley Newsam.  Wes and the other students were among the top two-thirds of the highest scorers on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Those who have teenage boys will get this - This news came out last week.  Wes never told us he got this recognition!  This is kind of a big deal and he didn't say anything.  Boys.  Gotta love 'em.

Here's Wes giving me a backrub that really hurts, but I'm trying not to show it...

In Maine, there were students from all over the state that got the same recognition.

It's a big deal, Kids.  If you get the honor, your parents don't have much going on at this stage in their lives.  Tell them so they can crow about it, for the love of Mike.  (I don't know who Mike is, it's just an expression....)