Seniors Valerie Aber And Persis Bhadha Named National Merit Scholar Semifinalists

Photo Credit: CHEYENNE PINO

BY MARTINA SMITH

Last October, Valerie Aber and Persis Bhadha, juniors at the time, prepared to stretch their brains to the limit as they opened their PSAT test books.  When most students sit down to take the PSAT, they shrug it off as just another quiz. I mean, it has the word preliminary in the title, how big of a deal can it be? These two bright minds, however, gave it their all, as they do for every other aspect of their lives. Bhadha spent the weeks leading up to the test studying religiously from her Princeton Review book, and Aber had also been reviewing her course work in an effort to do well.

This fall, during their senior year, all their work paid off when both girls were among those chosen to be National Merit Scholar semifinalists.

“I actually just happened to be googling my name when I saw the article saying I was a semifinalist,” Bhadha said. “I was very shocked and excited because I knew it would open a realm of opportunities.”

The National Merit Scholarship Competition, which began in 1955, is an academic competition in which eligible students compete for recognition and scholarship opportunities. All students are automatically entered by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) in their sophomore or junior year. There are over 1.5 million applicants for the scholarship nation-wide. Of these, only 16,000 of the highest scorers are chosen to be semifinalists. Each state has it’s own qualifying score, and last year Florida’s was a 211. Semifinalists are named in early September of the following year, with finalists being named in February and actual winners named shortly after. The National Merit Scholarship gives students a higher chance of getting into prestigious colleges and being eligible to win scholarships.

“The title of being a semifinalist is considered an honor, and colleges love recruiting National Merit students because it makes them look really good,” Aber said.

But the girls didn’t just do well on the PSAT out of pure luck. They have been dedicating their lives to working hard in school since they were children. Aber spends hours of time studying and keeping her grades up, which she could be using for friends, family, and extracurricular activities. Bhadha dedicates hours of her time to her studies as well, and uses a variety of study methods to help keep her on track. She uses what she calls a “candy method” frequently. After every section she reads, she rewards herself with a piece of candy. In addition, she frequently quizzes herself on concepts as she reads to make sure she thoroughly understands the material.

“Understanding, rather than just parroting, prepares you for hard tests,” Bhadha said.

Being chosen as National Merit Scholar semifinalists is not the first time these intelligent young women have been recognized for their achievement. Aber has been awarded for her work in competitive debate in many categories, including Congress and Interp. In addition, she has received top scores on several Advanced Placement tests, even the ever-difficult AP Biology.  Bhadha has been named as a Sunshine State Scholar Nominee and awarded the Rensselaer Medalist Award, which are both awards that award high paying scholarships for outstanding achievement in the areas of math and science. She has also won the Carson Scholarship, which awards $1,000 scholarships to students that have a high level of academic success and lots of community service.

Life isn’t just academics, however, for the semifinalists. Aber is heavily involved in the debate club and serves as it’s Vice President. Her responsibilities include trying to improve the organization of the club, filling out paperwork for field trips and tournaments, and sending out email updates to members. Aber finds that her work in debate is even more rewarding than her status as a National Merit Scholar.

“You can really tell that’s she’s working hard at what she does and trying to make everyone feel welcome.” debate member Christina Boucourt said.

Bhadha as well has a wide variety of things she enjoys doing outside the classroom including playing tennis, playing piano, painting, writing poetry, and drawing. She is also very passionate about the time she spends volunteering around the community.

“I just have a passion for helping others, so I love participating in community service,” Bhadha said.

Both Bhadha and Aber have very high hopes for the future. For college, Bhadha hopes to attend Duke University, the University of Pennsylvania, UNC-Chapel Hill, the University of Florida, or the University of Miami. Valerie is still unsure of which school she wants to attend, but knows she wants to attend a school with a strong medical program and is excited by the prospect of picking a school.

“College dreaming is one of my favorite things to do” Aber said.

Both of the scholars have an interest in becoming a physician after college, though Bhadha is also toying with the idea of becoming an engineer or a physicist. Having National Merit Scholar semifinalist on their resumes will give them more of a chance of getting into the school they want, being considered for honors institutes, and getting special scholarships.

The girls will find out if they are chosen to be finalists this February, and with it, the opportunity for even more scholarships.