Kean honored by National Merit Scholarship Corporation

Kean

East Amherst resident Kelsey Kean, a senior at Mount St. Mary Academy, was recently named a 2008 National Merit semifinalist for her performance on the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

More than 1.4 million students in nearly 21,000 high schools took the PSAT/NMSQT. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, which Kean tested into, represents less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. Kean has advanced to the finalist level.

To become finalists, students must demonstrate an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student's earlier qualifying test performance.

Approximately 15,000 semifinalists will advance to the finalist level. From this group, all merit scholarship winners will be chosen. This announcement is expected in spring 2008.

Kean is a member of National Honor Society, Science Club, Mock Trial and Latin Club at Mount St. Mary Academy. In addition, she participates in Amherst Youth Engaged in Service, known as Y.E.S., volunteers at the Amherst Museum and St. Gregory the Great school and parish, and rows at West Side Rowing Club.

She is among five Mount St. Mary Academy seniors who were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation - two as semifinalists and three as commended students.