Hillsdale Academy Seniors Named National Merit Scholarship Finalists
Hillsdale, MI – Hillsdale Academy today announced that seniors Jonah Harman and Susan Hoffman have been named Finalists in the 62nd annual National Merit Scholarship program. At least one Hillsdale Academy student has been commended or named a semifinalist or finalist for 16 consecutive years.
Since 2001, almost 20 percent of Hillsdale Academy’s graduating students have earned National Merit recognition.
“Jonah and Susan are talented students who are well-deserving of this scholarship,” said Dr. Ken Calvert, headmaster at the Academy. “They are hard-working and studious—exactly the kind of student who Hillsdale Academy seeks to develop. We couldn’t be more proud having our students once again contenders in this program.”
Jonah Harman, son of Jerry and Erin Harman of Hillsdale, Michigan, has attended the Academy for four years. He is a leader on the Academy’s Quiz Bowl team, a member of the golf team, and is learning Japanese in addition to studying Latin.
Susan Hoffman, daughter of Larry and Patty Hoffman of Jackson, Michigan, has attended the Academy for six years. She is involved in pro-life activities through Jackson Right to Life and her parish, and she aspires to become a veterinarian.
Harman and Hoffman took the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in October 2015. About 1.5 million students in some 22,000 high schools enter the National Merit Scholarship competition each year. Of those, about 15,000 earn Finalist status. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation scholarship is intended to “honor the nation’s scholastic champions and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence.”