La Lumiere senior Trevor Brandt, a boarding student from Manlius, New York, has been named a 2021 National Merit Finalist, making him eligible for consideration for the sought after National Merit Scholarships.
“I have Trevor in my Ethics seminar,” said Adam Kronk, Head of School at La Lumiere, “so I can vouch from personal experience that he has an exceedingly keen intellect, a generous, compassionate spirit, and an inquisitive, genuine mind. He’s absolutely deserving of this honor.”
To make it to this point in the National Merit Scholarship Program, an outstanding academic record is essential. In addition, the process requires a detailed scholarship application in which participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received are clearly demonstrated. Lastly, Trevor had to obtain a glowing endorsement and recommendation from a La Lumiere staff member.
For Trevor, who has excelled both in and outside of the classroom, the tight-knit community and personal connection with faculty has been a key component for his academic and personal growth. “La Lu’s small class sizes, academic organizations, and teachers that truly care about their students' well-being both as a student and a person has benefited me immensely. I honestly do not think that I would be where I am today without the experiences and opportunities it has provided me. And, while I am closer with some teachers, I would say that La Lu’s faculty as a whole have positively impacted my growth,” Trevor said.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, students must take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in their junior year. Over 1.5 million juniors in over 20,000 high schools participated in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2021 will be announced in four nationwide news releases which are slated to begin in April and conclude in July.