2 GATTON ACADEMY SENIORS RECOGNIZED AS NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SEMIFINALISTS

Aline Irihamye of Lexington and Naomi Kellogg of Elizabethtown, both seniors in the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky
at WKU, have been recognized as semifinalists in the National
Achievement Scholarship Program, an honor which potentially opens the
door to college scholarship opportunities.

The
National Achievement Scholarship Program is an academic competition
established in 1964 specifically to honor scholastically talented Black
American high school students and provide college scholarships for a
substantial number of the most outstanding participants in each annual
competition. More than 1.5 million students take the Preliminary SAT/
National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test each year and approximately
160,000 students request consideration for the National Achievement
Program. About 1,600 of the highest scoring applicants for the National
Achievement Program are honored as semifinalists.

To
be considered in the rigorous competition for National Achievement
scholarships, Semifinalists must advance to the Finalist level of the
competition by meeting additional standards and fulfilling several
requirements. These include having a record of very high academic
performance of college preparatory course work, leadership and school
involvement, submitting SAT scores that confirm PSAT performance, and
being fully endorsed and recommended by a high school official.

Since
students take the qualifying PSAT exam in October of their junior year
of high school, much of the preparation stems from learning
opportunities during their freshman and sophomore years of high school.
The Gatton Academy builds on those experiences to provide students with a
robust application and preparation for the SAT, a critical component in
becoming a finalist.

“These young ladies exemplify excellence in every aspect of their
lives,” said Dr. Tim Gott, Gatton Academy Director. “This recognition is
just another affirmation of their hard work and dedication. Aline and
Naomi are outstanding role models for all of Kentucky's students.”