Spring Hill, Florida (February 9, 2021) –Twins and Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School Seniors, Faith Anne Quinn and Grace Helen Quinn, have been selected as 2021 National Merit Scholarship Finalists. The Quinn’s are the only Finalists in a Diocese of St. Petersburg high school and two of twelve Semifinalists in Pasco County. In addition to their studies, both girls are active members of Bishop’s Theater Department and have played varsity basketball since Freshman year. They join approximately 15,000 Finalists across the country in the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million that will be offered in the spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition.
Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. Over 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and write an essay.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School was established in 2003 and is the highest-ranked high school in the Diocese of St. Petersburg. It is the seventh-highest ranked Catholic high school in the state of Florida. Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School provides a Christ-centered education that nurtures the development of the whole person and prepares young men and women to successfully meet the challenges of our global society.
For more information on Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, go to https://www.bmchs.com.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School
BMCHS Media Contact:
Beth Sylvester
Director of Marketing & Advancement
13651 Hays Road, Spring Hill, FL 34610
beth.sylvester@bmchs.com
727-857-2600 x244