Five of Vanguard’s 28 seniors received National Merit Recognition thanks to the scores earned on the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.  Karissa Gonzalez-Othon received an Honorable Mention in the 2011-2012 National Hispanic Recognition Program.  Both Nate Lane and Carlo Sangalang were named Commended Students for placing among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students entered in the competition.

Additionally, Aaron Schreck and Nate Lane have been named National Merit Finalists and will be considered for the 2012 National Merit Scholarships!  There are only 15,000 National Merit Finalists in the nation, and it is expected that just over half will receive Merit Scholarships.  This isn’t the first time Schreck and Lane have been recognized for their outstanding academics.  Aaron Schreck earned a perfect score on the ACT Reading assessment.  Daniel Doherty earned a perfect score on ACT Math, ACT Reading, SAT Writing, and SAT Math 2 assessments.

These students recognized by National Merit are not just academic whizzes.  They are known within the school community for extracurricular participation, service, character, and leadership.  Karissa earned a gold medal for her oil painting portfolio that was submitted to Colorado Scholastics Art Competition. Her portfolio is now part of a national competition.  Nate Lane has become a leader in service among his peers.  This is the second year that Nate is supporting the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which supports research to find cures for childhood cancer.  Nate has vowed to shave off his curly hair if the Vanguard student body raises $500 for the cause!  Carlo Sangalang was selected to be part of Colorado Springs Mayor’s 100, a group of 100 teens who have demonstrated a commitment to serving others and being a role model for his peers.  Aaron Schreck’s leadership skills have been demonstrated by his involvement in the Eagle Scouts and by serving as President of Vanguard’s Student Council.  Daniel Doherty has been a leader on Vanguard’s tennis team and band as well as being a member of the Varsity Matchwits team for four years!

Assistant Principal of The Vanguard School, Carole Tripoli, expressed her support of the National Merit recognition, “As Vanguard’s 9^th grade English teacher, it was my good fortune to have all five of these students in my classes. Their character and academic prowess were evident from their first year at Vanguard. They are role models for the entire student body, exemplifying our mission statement, which is ‘to help guide students in development of their character and academic potential through academically rigorous, content rich educational programs.”