Congratulations to Monroe-Woodbury High School senior Evan Liu who is among the approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Evan has an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million that will be offered in spring 2022.
According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, to be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
“On behalf of the district, I want to say how proud we are of Evan and his accomplishments,”said Superintendent of Schools Elsie Rodriguez. “Our students are truly inspiring and prove time and again that they are resilient and committed to being the best they can be. Best of luck to Evan in the next step of the selection process.”
Q&A with National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist Evan Liu
Q: What are you involved in – school/extracurriculars?
A: I am a member of the French National Honor Society. It’s a great program with great teachers in Mrs. Greenblatt and Mr. Clark. Most of my time outside of school is dedicated towards swimming. I’m quite serious and committed to swimming; it’s just a sport that I really enjoy.
Q: What does being named a NM semifinalist mean to you?
A: Receiving this commendation is great. It really speaks to the work I put in and the great English and math teachers I’ve had that helped me become a better student. Mrs. Rhubin and Mr. Agro were great math teachers that helped students tackle all types of problems, and Mr. Filie was a great English teacher that helped me become better at comprehending harder texts.
Q: What is your plan for the future?
A: I plan on going to college somewhere, and I’m thinking about going pre-med, although I’m open to other paths. I’m sure I’ll have a better idea of what I want to pursue after some time in college.
Q: How has your M-W education prepared you for these next steps?
A: The incredible teachers at M-W have prepared all of the students with the knowledge and skills to be successful at whatever we decide to pursue. For me, I think the knowledge I gained at M-W will be useful at the college level, and the productive habits I acquired will be applicable anywhere.
Q: Advice for younger students?
A: I’m not entirely sure I’m in a position to give advice, but if I were to say one thing it would be to enjoy high school. The 4 years go by way quicker than you think, so you have to enjoy the process and make as many great lasting memories as possible.