Ector County ISD has announced a total of 19 students have been recognized by the College Board for their academic achievement, including Odessa High School senior Akshathh Mukkera who earned National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist honors. He will continue in the National Merit Scholarship competition.
About 16,000 of the 1.5 million students who enter the NMS program qualify as semifinalists.
“We are so proud of Akshathh for qualifying as a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship,” ECISD Associate Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction Lilia Náñez said in a news release. “Millions of students in thousands of schools take the Preliminary SAT and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. As a semifinalist, Akshathh represents less than 1 percent of the nation’s top academically talented high school students.”
“ECISD congratulates Akshathh and all of our recognized students for reaching such a prestigious level of achievement.”
The College Board offers several other recognition programs that grant academic honors students can include on college and scholarship applications. Colleges use these honors to identify students from underrepresented groups who have excelled on their PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, or AP Exams and in their classrooms.
Those are:
>> National Rural and Small-Town Designated Scholar: Maxine Flores (OHS).
>> National Rural and Small-Town/National Hispanic Designated Scholar: Nisabella Karais (New Tech Odessa); Anastacio Pando, Elayne Brito, Marissa Rodriguez, Melany Coss, Rigoberto Mendoza, Sebastian Ramirez, and Viviana Santillan (OHS); Alison Blount, Angel Luna, Jacey Anglin, Joaquin Armendariz, Madelynn Ramirez, Noe Rodriguez, and Nydia Brito (Permian High School).
>> National Rural and Small-Town/National Hispanic/National Indigenous Designated Scholar: Julias Saenz (OHS).
>> National Rural and Small-Town/ National Hispanic/African American Designated Scholar: Sara Aberra (PHS).
