NATIONAL MERIT AWARDS

Officials at the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced that two Woodlawn senior - Joseph "Joey" Carol was named 2021 National Merit Commended Scholars. Commended scholars represent the top 3% of U.S. students, based on their junior-year PSAT test scores.

Officials at the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced today that two Woodlawn seniors - Jack Hager (Davidson) and Morgan Klein (Davidson) - were named 2019 National Merit Commended Scholars. Commended scholars represent the top 3% of U.S. students, based on their junior-year PSAT test scores.

Jack, the son of Hampton and Colleen Hager, has attended Woodlawn since his third grade year. He is a member of the upper school honor council and is co-captain of this year's varsity boys soccer team. On the varsity track team, Jack is a consistent contributor in the sprint events, and is part of two school record relay teams (4 x 100m and 4 x 200m).

Morgan is the daughter of Doug and Christi Klein and has attended Woodlawn since fourth grade. She was the 2018 recipient of Woodlawn's "Achievement in the Sciences" award, an honor given to the top junior in math/science at each commencement ceremony. Captain of this year's volleyball team, Morgan is a standout player for the Trailblazers, and was co-captain of last year's varsity girls soccer team. She served as co-editor of both the 2018 and 2019 editions of the Mighty Oak yearbook.

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Last October, about 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools took the 2015 PSAT, which served as the initial screening for the National Merit Scholarship program. The nationwide pool of National Merit Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest scoring entrants in each state.

Among students earning the distinction of National Merit Semifinalist is Woodlawn School senior Claire Stutzman. Daughter of Woodlawn faculty member, Bryan Stutzman, Claire is a recent addition to the Trailblazers, joining Woodlawn ahead of her junior year. Already a lifelong Girl Scout, Claire quickly seized new opportunities available to her at Woodlawn. Claire is a three-sport athlete, yearbook photo editor, and was co-producer of last year’s student play, Upstaged. She appreciates Woodlawn’s opportunities for open class discussion and the close relationships students forge with their teachers. Claire describes herself as driven, and her challenging class schedule supports that claim. Her current course load includes AP Calculus, AP Spanish Language, AP English Literature, AP Chemistry, AP US History, and Sociology.

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Woodlawn School senior Isabella “Bella” Jacoby, of Huntersville, has been named a Finalist in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program. She is among the approximately 15,000 Finalists throughout the nation to be recognized for their exceptional academic promise. The NMSP also announced that two other Woodlawn seniors – Natalie Buechler of Charlotte, and Spencer Gazzaway of Davidson – have been selected as Commended Scholars.

About 1.5 million students in some 22,000 high schools enter the National Merit Scholarship competition annually when they take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, but often are candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.

Bella is the daughter of Mr. Richard Jacoby and Dr. Maria Pelucio. Earlier this year, she also was selected for the College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP), having scored in the top 2.5% among Hispanic and Latino PSAT/NMSQT takers in our region.

Bella personifies the well-rounded Woodlawn student. Last year at graduation, she was presented with the Achievement in the Sciences award. She’s a celebrated visual artist, and is passionate about sustainability and the outdoors; in fact, she is co-founder of the Woodlawn Outdoors Club. She also is a remarkable athlete. A member of the NCISAA 1A State Champion Woodlawn School girls soccer team, Bella also qualified to swim two individual races and two relay races at the 2015 NCISAA 1A/2A State Championships (placing eighth overall in the 100 butterfly and ninth overall in the 50 freestyle). She’s a member of this year’s varsity cross country team and is also listed on the Woodlawn Track & Field Honor Roll for her performances in the 400m, 800m, and 1600m runs, as well as the long jump.

To become a Finalist, Bella and Woodlawn School submitted a detailed scholarship application providing information about her academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. The Finalists will compete for about 7,400 merit scholarships worth about $32 million. Awards are made in the spring of 2016..

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Woodlawn School seniors Joe Andry and Meredith Simpson, both of Davidson, have been named Finalists in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program. They are among the approximately 15,000 Finalists throughout the nation to be recognized for their exceptional academic promise.

About 1.5 million students in some 22,000 high schools enter the National Merit Scholarship competition annually when they take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

Joe is the son of Allain and MC Andry, and has attended Woodlawn for 6 years. He has represented North Carolina in the national finals of the National History Day competition, and this year is studying at the University of Oxford, in England. Meredith, the daughter of Allison Simpson, is co-editor of Lighten Up!, the student-run blog at Woodlawn School, and last year she participated in the 32nd annual American Invitational Mathematics Examination. She tutors elementary school children weekly at the Ada Jenkins Center and initiated the development of a program to support early childhood literacy at the Lake Norman Community Health Clinic.

Additionally, senior Celeste Campbell of Davidson was named a National Merit Commended Scholar.  Celeste, the daughter of Malcolm and Susan Campbell, has attended Woodlawn for 7 years.  She is editor of this year's Mighty Oak yearbook, and is a member of the varsity volleyball and soccer teams.  Commended scholars represent the top 3% of students taking the PSAT/NMSQT®.

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Woodlawn School seniors Maisie Wills and John Patrick “JP” Shaw, both of Davidson, have been named Commended Students in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. Over the last four years, eleven Woodlawn students have been honored as Commended Students, including one National Merit Scholarship Winner.

Wills and Shaw are among the approximately 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation to be recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Commended Students placed in the top three percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2014 competition, which is based on their junior-year PSAT test scores.

Maisie is the daughter of Trey and Anne Wills, and JP is the son of Brian and Pat Shaw. Both students arrived at Woodlawn in 2004 as third graders and are now in their 10th year as Trailblazers.

Officials at the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced that Woodlawn senior David Keener of Davidson was named a 2013 National Merit Commended Scholar.  Commended scholars represent the top 3% of U.S. students, based on their junior-year PSAT test scores.

David, the son of Gene and Lynne Keener, has attended Woodlawn for 8 years.  He has earned four varsity letters on Woodlawn's conference champion cross country team as well as two varsity letters in track and field.

David joins 8 other Woodlawn students who have been honored by the National Merit Scholarship program over the past 3 years - 7 as Commended Scholars and 1 as a National Merit Scholarship Winner.

Officials at the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced today that Woodlawn senior Paulina Campbell of Davidson was named a 2012 National Merit Scholarship Winner. 8,300 scholarship winners were selected from more than 1.5 million students in about 22,000 high schools who took the 2010 PSAT and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as juniors.

Paulina plans to attend Grinnell College (Iowa), one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation.  In addition to the National Merit Scholarship, she also received the Trustees Honor Scholarship from Grinnell.

Paulina, the daughter of Malcolm and Susan Campbell, has attended Woodlawn for 7 years. She is the editor of the 2012 Mighty Oak yearbook and has earned four varsity letters on Woodlawn's conference champion cross country team.  Paulina was also the 2012 winner of Woodlawn's Female Athlete of the Year award, the 2011 recipient of our Achievement in the Humanities award, and the 2010 winner of our Creative Arts award.

In addition, Woodlawn seniors Zach Lingle (Davidson), Dana Neidinger (Davidson), and Tori Rinker (Cornelius) were named National Merit Commended Scholars, placing them in the top 3% of U.S. high school seniors based on their junior-year PSAT score.

Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced today that Woodlawn senior Terin Patel-Wilson has been named a Winner in the 2011 National Achievement Scholarship Program. Terin is one of the 800 Black American high school seniors who have been designated scholarship winners - each winner receives an award of $2,500. Terin is a Mooresville resident who has attended Woodlawn for the past 9 years.

Terin was also named a National Merit Commended Scholar earlier this year, along with 3 of his Woodlawn classmates.

More than 160,000 students entered the 2011 National Achievement Scholarship Program by requesting consideration when they took the 2009 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) as high school juniors. In September 2010, approximately 1,600 of the highest scorers were named semifinalists on a regional representation basis. To continue in the competition, semifinalists had to fulfill requirements for finalist standing, which included having a record of consistently high academic performance; being endorsed and recommended by an official of their high school; earning SAT scores that confirm their PSAT/NMSQT performance; and writing an essay. From the semifinalist pool, some 1,300 advanced to the finalist level, and all National Achievement Scholarship winners were selected from this group of outstanding students.

Officials at the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced today that four Woodlawn seniors - Sawyer Bowman (Cornelius), Terin Patel-Wilson (Mooresville), Sayre Weir (Davidson), and Pete Kvilhaug (Cornelius) - were named 2011 National Merit Commended Scholars. Commended scholars represent the top 3% of U.S. students, based on their junior-year PSAT test scores.