We always love to hear good news about big achievements by our youngsters. So there is much to celebrate in the announcement that 36 of our area young people have become National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.
They have displayed exceptional academic ability, and now they will be able to compete for $34 million in scholarships for their college careers.
• Baylor School students who are distinguished as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists are Tyler Blackmon, Christian Carbone, Matthew Chen, Lucas Conwell, Paige Elliott, Megan Huntsinger, Bridget Lawrence, Dabney Randall and Manning Smith-Tate.
• Boyd-Buchanan School semifinalists are James Parker and Margaret Rox.
• Collegedale Academy semifinalists are Michael Chung and Chu Hyun Kim.
• Chattanooga Christian School semifinalists are Jessica Fikkert, Matt Foreman, Richard Reinink and Jennifer Snyder.
• Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences semifinalists are Meagan Stanfield and Leigh Stanfield.
• Chattanooga State Middle College achiever is Samuel Rogers.
• East Hamilton High achievers are Zach McCormick and Nicholas Page.
• Girls Preparatory School has Hannah Mask and Sarah Shaw.
• McCallie School semifinalists are Bruce Baldree, Timothy Brown, Mark A. "Mac" Caldwell, Sebastian Krupa, John Miller, Brian Mu, Bharath Venkatesh and Gilbert Walton.
• Sewanee-St. Andrew's semifinalist is Charlie Woodlief.
• Signal Mountain's semifinalist is Adam Stark.
• At Marion County High in Jasper, Tenn., the semifinalist is Danielle Sahud.
• The semifinalist at Georgia-Cumberland Academy in Calhoun, Ga., is Rachel Brogden.
These outstanding young people already have achieved much -- and we are confident that they are destined for still greater achievements.
Congratulations to them all -- and to their justly proud families!