2
News
November
Six National Merit Scholars reach semifinals»
u K aitlyn R agan ______________
Staff Reporter
West Linn boasts many
intelligent and highly
motivated students. The
National Merit Scholars are
the best of the best out of
these.
Six seniors made the cut
this year: Elise Biancardi,
Christine Chen, Chase Gray,
Marisa Peralta, Christine
Rutan and Dylan Stark join
a small group chosen from
schools all over the nation
to be National Merit Scholar
Semifinalists.
"We find out in February
if we're finalists or not.
Then I'll make my first
choice college selection
and hopefully get some
scholarship money from
some school, corporation or
National Merit," Gray, said.
These students scored in
the top 1% of all students
taking the PS AT last fall
and, on top of getting
substantial financial funding
for their future education,
are now eligible to become
finalists who will receive
even greater gifts from their
schools of choice as well as
corporations.
Each of these students is
involved in many and very
diverse activities, but they
are all brought together
by their love of learning
Christine Chen
«
How do you feel about
this achievement? What
impact has it made on your
life?
"I feel amazing. Significant
impact? If I end up getting a
scholarship, I will have paid
for 2% of my college tuition."
What has been your
favorite class?
"I know it's only been
about two months of school,
but I would say Mr. West's
AP English class."
What are your plans for
after graduation?
"I'm pretty sure I'll go
straight to college. I can't
wait to get out of here and
actually be on my own."
Who has had the biggest
impact on who you are right
now?
and academic excellence.
about my chances of getting
into a good school."
What has been a
"defining moment" for you
so far?
"My Honors Humanities
project last year. The presen
tation night was one of the
only times I can remember
where I was in front of a
group and didn't feel like a
freak. That was huge be
cause that was also the most
open I'd been with strangers
— there were some really
personal, even embarrass
ing, stories that I shared that
night."
What do you do to have fun
and relax outside of school?
"I try to go someplace by
myself every once in a while.
I notice more when I'm by
myself, and it's refreshing to
come out of a sort of "study
tunnel" and catch up on the
world."
Who has made the biggest
impact on who you are right
now?
"My parents have had a big
impact on me, but I'm trying
to fix that."
How do you feel about
this achievement? What
impact has it made on your
life?
"I'm of course really
excited about the scholarship
opportunities that can come
name one specific person. I
would just have to say all my
friends. Maybe my parents
because they're always
nagging."
Dylan Stark
Christine Rutan
How do you feel about
this achievement? What
impact has it made on your
life?
"I feel more confident
How do you feel about
this achievement? What
impact has it made on your
life?
"This is and will always
be my greatest achievement.
This has opened
immeasurable opportunities
in my future."
What extra-curricular
activities are you involved
in?
"Well I am a Thespian and
I play co-ed soccer with my
BFF's for life. Also, in my free
time I like to watercolor paint
and write screenplays."
What has been a "defining
moment" for you so far?
from this. Just going through
this process and making
decisions about college
makes me really excited to
graduate!"
What extra-curricular
activities are you involved
in?
"Jazz Choir, Symphonic
Choir, Girls Sextet, church
events, Mock Trial, the
musical "Once Upon A
Mattress" which everyone
should come see!"
What do you do to have
fun and relax outside of
school?
"Sleeping is always a good
thing...once in a while."
Who has made the
biggest impact on who you
are today?
"I'm going with the cliche
answer but it's so true:
my parents. I would be a
completely different person
without them."
ISEF opens new opportunities for students
I S if _____ ______________ ■
.
continued from page
1
It also gives students a
chance to earn scholarships,
and three projects and three
observers are sent to the
international ISEF. Thirty
percent of students who
compete move on to the State
competition.
"I like the way ISEF brings
together kids who are inter-
ested in all kinds of things—
science is not always their
fax rorite or best subject—who
have in common the fact that
they have accepted this chal-
lenge and met it," Schauer
said.
Schauer advised, Stick with
it, do a little work on it each
day or week. Don t put it off
or you won’t have as much fun
as you could have doing this.
And don’t lose heart."
Some of the students this
year are looking to their future,
"I heard that by taking a course
achievement? What impact
has it made on your life?
"I mean, happy to have it,
but it's weird how long ago
the test was in relation to the
importance it has NOW, you
know what I mean?"
What are your plans for
after graduation?
"I will most likely go
to college next fall, but
depending on the school and
whether it allows students to
defer for a year, I would love
to take a year off and focus
on dance, and then start
college in 09."
What has been a "defining
moment" for you so far?
"I got in a car crash in May.
It really affected me—made
me realize life is short. Things
CAN happen to me as the
cliche goes. I have lived
differently since then."
Who has been your most
influential teacher?
"Ms. Murray. Her
sophomore English class
made me think in a whole
new way. It was one of the
best classes I've ever taken."
Elise Biancardi
"I don't know, I can't really
Whether in drama, art,
music, Model UN, Mock
Trial or other clubs, each has
extra curricular activities
they enjoy.
Multiple advanced
placement and honors
classes are also part of their
schedule. They are involved
in a wide variety of subjects
and considering multiple
career options, from writing
to math, and from business
to the sciences.
This honor assures these
students are sufficiently
prepared, if not more than
many of their peers, for
college and offers them
various financial aid
opportunities.
The PS AT is formulated
primarily as a practice test
for the actual SAT, but also
serves as an opportunity to
recognize and honor those
who exceed beyond most
expectations.
"The moment I decided
I wanted to cook food for
the rest of my life was
very defining. I was like,
"Scha! No way! I figured it
out!" I was standing on a
mountaintop beside a glacial
lake and it just hit me."
Who has made the biggest
impact on who you are right
now?
"Jim Halpert (John
Krasinski) from The Office
has always served as a role
model. Occasionally Dwight
Schrute inspires me as well."
through ISEF, you could ob-
tain four college credits," Billy
Gillham, junior. Gillham and
his partner will be conducting
a social science test for ISEF.
I like the idea of taking
what we learn in our science
classes, and applying it to
real life in our own way,"
Gillham said. "Bv obtaining
possible college credits I will
structure my later learning
career and potentially get a
scholarship.
Marisa Peralta
How do you feel about this
Chase Gray
How do you feel about
this achievement? What
impact has it made on your
life?
"It was cool having my
picture in the Tidings. And
it's nice to put on college
applications. Other than that,
it's really pointless."
What extra-curricular
activities are you involved
in?
"Right now I'm the Wizard
in the musical. I'm also in
Mock Trial. Outside of school
I volunteer at the West Linn
Library on Sundays."
What are your plans
for this year and after you
graduate?
"Well, I want to finish all
of my college applications.
Hopefully, after that I can just
enjoy the rest of my senior
year. I'm going backpacking
in Europe next summer,
then heading off for college
(hopefully at Stanford) after
that."
Who has been your most
influential teacher?
"Mr. Rose. Even though
I hated calculus and it was *3
really hard for me, he made i?
as interesting as he could and
helped me out a lot through a
subject that I struggled with."
All Photos by Malia Chong