Hillsboro senior Spencer Brown named National Merit Scholarship semifinalist
Lead Summary
By
Caitlin Forsha-crforsha@gmail.com
A Hillsboro High School senior has joined an exclusive list of the nation’s top high school students, as Spencer Brown has been named a 2017 National Merit Scholarship semifinalist.
Brown is the son of Chuck Brown and Kathryn Hapner. He is the second-youngest of four brothers.
According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) website (www.nationalmerit.org), the corporation’s mission is “to recognize and honor the academically talented students of the United States.”
Before being named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, Brown had to take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The corporation then reviews each entrant’s PSAT scores. Last year, over 1.4 million students from 22,207 high schools entered the competition, and only about 16,000 of the approximately 50,000 high scorers qualify as semifinalists, according to the NMSC website.
“They are the highest scoring entrants in each state,” the NMSC website said.
Brown took the PSAT in October 2015 and was informed earlier this month that he had been selected as a semifinalist.
In order to qualify as a finalist, Brown will be required to take the SAT, complete an application and write an essay, he said. Finalists will be notified in February, and winners will be notified in March through mid-June, according to the NMSC website.
Brown’s education at HHS has included numerous Advanced Placement courses, such as government, English, US history, biology, macroeconomics, literature, calculus and world history. He has also taken college algebra, trigonometry and physics classics offered through Southern State Community College at the high school, gaining dual-enrollment credits.
Brown is a member of the Hillsboro varsity soccer and tennis teams and plans to join the Quick Recall team this winter.
Brown is also involved in the National Honor Society, where he is the chairman of the National Honor Society’s blood drive and has organized several successful events with the Hoxworth Blood Center. He volunteers through the youth group at St. Mary Catholic Church as well, where he has also assisted with the Vacation Bible School program.
After graduating from HHS, Brown said that he intends to go to college and is interested in business, but he’s “not sure which discipline” he wants to pursue at this time. Brown is narrowing down his choices before applying for college, but he has visited a number of colleges and universities already.
“During fair week, I went to Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Pennsylvania and Columbia,” Brown said. “This weekend, I’m visiting Notre Dame, the University of Chicago and Northwestern.”
Brown also visited Indiana University last year, he said.
“I liked Harvard, Yale and Pennsylvania a lot,” Brown said. “I am giving serious consideration to Notre Dame, so I’m looking forward to visiting them.”
Brown thanked his family, his teachers and his friends at HHS for their assistance.
“My family and teachers have been a great help in allowing this achievement to occur,” Brown said.
He also credits his best friend, Daniel Jacky, for making him a better student. Jacky is involved in many of the same extracurricular activities and takes a lot of the same courses as Brown, so Brown said they have a friendly rivalry.
“A lot of times, I try to score better than him just to make him mad,” Brown joked.
Hillsboro High School guidance counselor Kim Beam said that the school is “very proud” of Brown.
“We are all very proud of Spencer and his accomplishments,” Beam said. “He is a wonderful student.”
Hillsboro High School principal Jason Snively called Brown “a great asset to our school and community.”
“He not only makes a commitment to his academics but is a steward to his school and community as he is recognized in the National Honor Society and is a member of the varsity soccer team,” Snively told The Highland County Press. “He is a great example of what a student can be when they take advantage of what Hillsboro City Schools has to offer.”
Brown is the son of Chuck Brown and Kathryn Hapner. He is the second-youngest of four brothers.
According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) website (www.nationalmerit.org), the corporation’s mission is “to recognize and honor the academically talented students of the United States.”
Before being named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, Brown had to take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The corporation then reviews each entrant’s PSAT scores. Last year, over 1.4 million students from 22,207 high schools entered the competition, and only about 16,000 of the approximately 50,000 high scorers qualify as semifinalists, according to the NMSC website.
“They are the highest scoring entrants in each state,” the NMSC website said.
Brown took the PSAT in October 2015 and was informed earlier this month that he had been selected as a semifinalist.
In order to qualify as a finalist, Brown will be required to take the SAT, complete an application and write an essay, he said. Finalists will be notified in February, and winners will be notified in March through mid-June, according to the NMSC website.
Brown’s education at HHS has included numerous Advanced Placement courses, such as government, English, US history, biology, macroeconomics, literature, calculus and world history. He has also taken college algebra, trigonometry and physics classics offered through Southern State Community College at the high school, gaining dual-enrollment credits.
Brown is a member of the Hillsboro varsity soccer and tennis teams and plans to join the Quick Recall team this winter.
Brown is also involved in the National Honor Society, where he is the chairman of the National Honor Society’s blood drive and has organized several successful events with the Hoxworth Blood Center. He volunteers through the youth group at St. Mary Catholic Church as well, where he has also assisted with the Vacation Bible School program.
After graduating from HHS, Brown said that he intends to go to college and is interested in business, but he’s “not sure which discipline” he wants to pursue at this time. Brown is narrowing down his choices before applying for college, but he has visited a number of colleges and universities already.
“During fair week, I went to Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Pennsylvania and Columbia,” Brown said. “This weekend, I’m visiting Notre Dame, the University of Chicago and Northwestern.”
Brown also visited Indiana University last year, he said.
“I liked Harvard, Yale and Pennsylvania a lot,” Brown said. “I am giving serious consideration to Notre Dame, so I’m looking forward to visiting them.”
Brown thanked his family, his teachers and his friends at HHS for their assistance.
“My family and teachers have been a great help in allowing this achievement to occur,” Brown said.
He also credits his best friend, Daniel Jacky, for making him a better student. Jacky is involved in many of the same extracurricular activities and takes a lot of the same courses as Brown, so Brown said they have a friendly rivalry.
“A lot of times, I try to score better than him just to make him mad,” Brown joked.
Hillsboro High School guidance counselor Kim Beam said that the school is “very proud” of Brown.
“We are all very proud of Spencer and his accomplishments,” Beam said. “He is a wonderful student.”
Hillsboro High School principal Jason Snively called Brown “a great asset to our school and community.”
“He not only makes a commitment to his academics but is a steward to his school and community as he is recognized in the National Honor Society and is a member of the varsity soccer team,” Snively told The Highland County Press. “He is a great example of what a student can be when they take advantage of what Hillsboro City Schools has to offer.”