Four Smithfield-Selma High International Baccalaureate students recognized

SMITHFIELD — Four Smithfield-Selma High School International Baccalaureate Diploma Program students have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program.

The principal of Smithfield-Selma High School, David K. Allen, announced recently that Jude Reece has been named a semifinalist in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program and Catherine Cepin,

Priscilla Nutt and Sophia Urzi have been named commended students.

Reece is one of only 16,000 NMS semifinalists nationwide. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million offered in the spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must write an essay and submit all academic records and a letter of recommendation to advance to the finalist level of the competition.

He qualified for the National Merit Scholarship by earning the highest possible score on the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which is the first step for program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. Reece will continue in the competition and will find out if he is a finalist in mid-February. Scholarship winners will be notified between March and May. “We offer our congratulations to Jude as he continues to demonstrate the highest levels of academic success,” the SSS administrative team said.

Cepin, Nutt and Urzi received a letter of commendation from the school and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Allen presented the letters to the three students.

About 34,000 commended students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2023 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, commended students place among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2023 competition by taking the 2021 preliminary SAT/NMSQT.

“Those being named commended students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” a spokesperson for the NMSC said. “These students represent a valuable national resource. Recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”

Smithfield-Selma High School International Baccaleaurate Diploma Program senior Jude Reece has been named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist.

Smithfield-Selma High School senior Catherine Cepin has been recognized as a commended student by the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Smithfield-Selma High School senior Sophia Urzi has been recognized as a commended student by the National Merit Scholarship Program.