National Merit Semifinalists Announced at Great Hearts

10 seniors from Great Hearts Academies in Arizona have qualified as National Merit Semifinalists. Leah C. Scharmann, Hayden Armstrong, William Tinker, Alessandro Marcolini, Mary Herbert, Tucker Flynn, Annika Kimery, Andrew Kulhan, Sumedh Seetharam, and Christian Song have each been recognized as one of the highest scoring entrants of the PSAT, qualifying them for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program as semifinalists of over 1.5 million entrants.

Chandler Prep senior, Leah C. Schlarmann excels in the arts, particularly singing and piano. She has participated in honors choirs, in our region and on a national level, as well as honors and accompanist roles for her other passion, the piano. Leah also excels in the classroom as well and is applying to colleges both in-state and out-of-state. She is interested in studying a major in the STEM field, and we look forward to seeing where she decides to attend next fall!

Trivium Prep senior, Hayden Armstrong plans to study aerospace engineering but is waiting for acceptance and scholarship opportunities before committing to a university. Hayden participates in the Trivium Mentorship Program and is an officer on the Robotics Team. He was also invited to the FIRST Robotics World Championship for his involvement on the team. Hayden’s advice to juniors taking the PSAT is to take as many practice tests as possible and review the questions you missed.

Trivium Prep senior, William Tinker plans to study mechanical engineering at either Embry Riddle Aeronautical University or ASU. He has been a leader on the Robotics Team all 4 years of High School. Will has enjoyed having a classical education at Trivium as it has helped him round out his knowledge in all areas of life.

Glendale Prep senior, Alessandro Marcolini is currently planning on studying robotics engineering and is strongly considering ASU Barrett, but unsure of what university he will be attending. “I really value learning, and I feel that my school gave me the opportunity to pursue that. I owe my success to the guidance from my teachers, the effort I put in, and the support from the people around me,” he said. Alessandro is a very intellectually curious young man who embraces the ideals of a lifelong learner and has a vast array of interests in talents from robotics to tennis, to coding, to piano.

Veritas Prep senior, Mary Herbert will continue pursuing her love of math through a finance degree. Mary is very involved at Veritas; she serves as a house leader for House Newton, is a Veritas Chorale and Women’s Choir member, and is a talented cellist. She serves as a senior Varsity Swim and Dive and Varsity Track and Field team captain. Mary believes serving the community through Great Hearts, Great Hands, and her church is essential. She is dedicated to excelling in all areas, stating, “I hold myself to a high standard in my academic performance, sports, and character, and I am always trying to become better. I persevere when I am struggling because that is when I learn the most.” She has been accepted into Grand Canyon University and Northern Arizona University, where she received the Lumberjack Scholarship, which covers full tuition. Mary will be serving on a mission for 18 months before attending college.

Scottsdale Prep senior, Tucker Flynn will be studying biomedical engineering with plans to enter the medical field and is applying for top schools in this field. His advice to students is to “trust yourself when answering questions.” Tucker took many practice tests and state that the Great Hearts math curriculum helped prepare him for the PSAT.

Scottsdale Prep senior, Christian Song will be studying engineering focusing on mathematics and philosophy. He finds math to be incredibly interesting and looks forward to exceling in this field in his future studies.  His advice to students is to “study the summer of sophomore year, take a minimum of 5 practice tests which are free online through College Board and focus on Algebra and general grammar. Stay focused while taking the exam and remember that extreme answers are never the right answer.” Christian was also a tutor for Khan Academy which helped him sharpen his skills in grammar and algebraic equations.

Scottsdale Prep senior, Sumedh Seetharam will be studying biomedical engineering to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry. He would like to work in the research and development field for drug delivery technology. He recently obtained his black belt. His advice to students is that, “questions fall into categories, and you can help recognize these by taking practice tests and figuring out where to improve in these categories.” Sumedh explains that “inundating yourself with prep can be overwhelming, so do not cram for the exam. Allow yourself to process the questions and ingrain the methods within your mind for future tests.”

Scottsdale Prep senior, Annika Kimery plans to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where she will major in biomedical engineering before attending medical school. She has already received a letter of assurance from West Point guaranteeing admission upon completion her application. Earning a 4.0 cumulative unweighted GPA throughout high school, Annika’s advice to students is to “identify the study methods that work best for you and turn them into habits.” For her, that means waking up early and tackling her homework when her mind is the clearest. At Scottsdale Prep, Annika is the president of the AP Biology Club, member of the swim team and the track & field team, vice president of Blue Crew, member of the Diakonos Club, and is a tutor for the writing seminar lab. Her greatest passion outside of school is horseback riding where she is a president of the National Board of Directors for the Arabian Horse Youth Association.

Scottsdale Prep senior, Andrew Kulhan wishes to attend MIT where he will major in mechanical engineering and pursue a career in the optimization of automotive engine performance. While in college, he looks forward to studying alongside some of the top engineering minds in the country and delving into cutting edge research.  At Scottsdale Prep, Andrew is captain of the varsity football team, founder of the philosophy club, and treasurer of Blue Crew. Outside of school, Andrew plays hockey and volunteers at the Desert Foothills Library. He also works at Mathnasium of North Scottsdale as a tutor where he helps students overcome their math struggles and takes pride in seeing them learn to enjoy math. His advice to students who wish to perform well on the PSAT is to focus on your areas of weakness and develop a targeted study plan.

“Scoring in the top 1% in the state of Arizona is a very realistic goal for many juniors across the Great Hearts network,” said Great Hearts Director of College Counseling, Roslyn Fletcher. “We expose our high school students to the PSAT early by administering the official PSAT to all 10th grade students across the network. National Merit Finalists typically have the opportunity to pursue merit scholarships that cover full tuition and sometimes even more at many institutions across the country.”

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