ACADEMIC SPOTLIGHT

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NATIONAL MERIT FINALIST & COMMENDED SCHOLARS

Senior Zach Brown was named a finalist in the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Zach will now go on to compete for approximately 7,600 annual National Merit® Scholarships that will be offered next spring. Seniors Jonathan Fasciana and Hank Soule were named Commended Students in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Zach Brown Jonathan Fasciana

Hank Soule

Zach Brown is a Charlotte Christian School lifer. He is a longtime contributor to the CCS music program having played cello since fourth grade and serving as a key member on the upper school honors orchestra. Zach also competes on the CCS varsity swim team and swims competitively outside of CCS as well. He is an AP Scholar with Distinction, recipient of the Summa Cum Laude Honor Roll, National Honor Society member and was selected his sophomore year to receive the sophomore male Timothy Award for “Service Above Self.” Zach spends his spare time volunteering for CCS performing arts events, is a peer tutor and volunteers in the community with his swim club.

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BIOGRAPHY WAX MUSEUM

Our third grade students portrayed important historical and cultural figures in costume for the annual Biography Wax Museum. The live experience was recreated this year in a virtual museum where the wax figures were recorded coming to life and discussing their lives and accomplishments. The students presented individually in a recording session and then all of the videos were combined into one presentation and shared with parents. Lower School Media Specialist Katey Balikian said, “The students love this event! While the students did not have a live audience this year, the added benefit is that they can watch their classmates’ hard work, and we can share the videos with many other students and staff that may not normally be able to come.”

Kennedy Young

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COLLEGE BOARD SCHOLAR

Senior Kennedy Young was named a College Board National African American Recognition Program Scholar based on her academic performance, PSAT score and her application submitted last spring. Kennedy is a member of the National Spanish Honor Society, has been awarded the George Eastman Young Leaders Award, has been on the Summa Cum Laude Honor Roll throughout upper school and is an AP Scholar with Honor. Kennedy has participated in Harvard Model Congress and is a member of the varsity volleyball team and varsity track and field team. Kennedy is copresident of the Knots for Tots Club, an organization that makes friendship bracelets to distribute to children in the community, and is on the Ronald McDonald House Teen Volunteer Board. She has served young women and children through mission trips to Dominican Republic and Ethiopia.

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AP SCHOLARS

Charlotte Christian students and recent graduates earned Advanced Placement (AP) Scholar distinctions. A total of 58 AP honors were earned by students based on AP exams taken in May of 2020. Scan the QR to see a list of CCS AP Scholars.

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STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN DIME PROGRAM

Junior Habtamu McLain, senior Mya Olmeda and junior Ryan Swilling participated in the Diversity Investment Management Engagement (DIME) program this fall. DIME is a six-week course created by a CCS alumni parent and presented by a coalition of industry and education stakeholders who seek to broaden the racial representation of the investment management industry. The mission of DIME is to develop the next generation of diverse and successful investment talent. Junior Ryan Swilling shared that, “I really enjoyed the experience at the DIME Program. I learned a lot about stock and how to build wealth. I received a first place award for the profitability of my investment portfolio.” The award includes a $300 dollar gift card, media exposure in the investment banking industry and an opportunity to meet a lawyer at Morgan Stanley. “I am very grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the six-week program,” said Habtamu who has a new interest in exploring financial majors in college. “I’ve learned a lot about how to grow money into more money by investing in different company stocks. I was given a fake portfolio of $100,000 to invest in some stocks and in four weeks’ time, it grew $5,000 or 5%. This program really got me interested in possibly majoring in financial management in college.”