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Northwestern University Awards Scheck Hillel's Valedictorian College-Sponsored National Merit Scholarship
Northwestern University Awards Scheck Hillel's ValedictorianCollege-Sponsored National Merit Scholarship
North Miami Beach, Florida – Scheck Hillel Community School’s 2018 valedictorian, Nathalie Fuhrman, has been awarded a National Merit Northwestern University Scholarship, announced this month by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Officials of each college sponsor selected scholarship winners from among Finalists in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. Nathalie will attend Northwestern University in the fall.
"It is an honor to be named a recipient of a National Merit Scholarship. This award speaks to Nathalie's hard work and sums up her educational accomplishments,” said Dr. Ezra Levy, Scheck Hillel's Head of School. “May she continue to excel, guided by her passion for lifelong learning and her strong Jewish identity and values."
Nathalie, Class 2018 valedictorian, is a Jaime and Raquel Gilinski Hillel Ambassador. As a student, she was a member of the National Honor Society and Co-President of the Books Across Borders Club; she played the alto saxophone in Scheck Hillel’s band. She is a lifeguard, water safety instructor and involved in the MAR-JCC Bamachol Dance Program, as both a dancer and a teacher. Nathalie’s community service with Chai Lifeline rounds out her impressive work.
Fellow graduates Keith Bonwitt, Roy Glazer and Max Peicher were named 2018 National Merit Commended Students, placing among the top scorers of more than 1.6 million students who entered the competition by taking the 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). All four seniors were also recognized by the College Board as 2017 AP Scholars with Distinction.
Scheck Hillel is honored to have graduated a roster of students recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program and to carry on the tradition in 2018. Most recently, Jordana Zackon, Class of 2017 valedictorian, was named a 2017 National Merit Commended Student; she now attends Washington University in St. Louis. Scheck Hillel's 2016 salutatorian, Ariel Gelrud, was a 2016 National Merit Scholar and attends the University of Pennsylvania.
This year, 178 higher education institutions are underwriting Merit Scholarship awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program. College-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners announced this month are a part of the distinguished group of about 7,500 high school seniors who will receive National Merit Scholarships for college undergraduate study worth over $31 million.
About Scheck Hillel Community School
From early childhood through Grade 12, Scheck Hillel Community School educates and inspires students to become exemplary global citizens with enduring Jewish identity, values and a commitment to the State of Israel, through a college preparatory curriculum and meaningful co-curricular experiences, guided by Orthodox teachings and set within a nurturing, diverse community. Scheck Hillel is one of the world's largest Jewish community day schools and a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
2018 National Merit Scholarship Competition
Over 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program when they took the 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, approximately 16,000 Semifinalists were named on a state-representational basis in numbers proportional to each state’s percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors. Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than one percent of the nation’s seniors.
To compete for Merit Scholarship awards, Semifinalists first had to advance to the Finalist level of the competition by fulfilling additional requirements. Each Semifinalist was asked to submit a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists also had to have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT® scores that confirmed the qualifying test performance. From the Semifinalist group, some 15,000 met requirements for Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will be Merit Scholarship winners in 2018.
NMSC, a not-for-profit corporation that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of National Merit Scholarships provided each year are made possible by the support of approximately 410 independent corporate and college sponsors. These sponsors join NMSC in its efforts to enhance educational opportunities for America’s scholastically talented youth and to encourage the pursuit of academic excellence.
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