A pair of Pillow Academy seniors have qualified as National Merit semifinalists, a prestigious award that draws each a step closer to the possibility of receiving a $2,500 college scholarship as a National Merit Scholar.
Dia Chawla, 18, daughter of Suresh and Gauri Chawla, and Christopher Winter, 17, son of Chris and Jennifer Winter, all of Greenwood, each earned a score of 213 on the qualifying exam.
Winter said the top score possible is 228.
He and Chawla said they are honored to have been selected. “Being a semifinalist — it opens a lot of doors,” Winter observed.
“I am glad that Dia and I got the same score, that we got it together,” he said, explaining that the pair enjoys a friendly academic competition.
Chawla said she is “obviously, pretty shocked,”and she also is tickled to have outscored her brother, Sunjay, now a college student, and her father, Suresh, a businessman, by one point, which allowed her to qualify when they didn’t.
But mainly she is happy with having done well, for herself and the school. “I had prepared hard for it and was glad to see it pay off,” she explained.
Winter and Chawla are serious students who enjoy a range of courses.
Chawla said she is attracted to math and science, which challenge her analytical skills. She likes “the stuff I have to think about hard, and it is so satisfying when you finally solve it.”
On the other hand, Winter’s drawn in another direction. “I have a great passion for history,” he said, adding, “I specialize in Napoleon.”
His interests incline him toward attending a college with a strong humanities program.
The 16,000 semifinalists represent fewer than 1% of high school seniors nationwide, according to the nonprofit National Merit Scholarship Corp.
All entrants took the PSAT, which is the qualifying exam, when they were juniors. About 90% of the semifinalists will be selected as finalists in February. Of these, 2,500 will be named National Merit Scholars and receive $2,500 scholarships.
Scholarships also are available through corporations, businesses, colleges and universities.
“Both of these students are highly motivated and committed to attain excellence in whatever they do,” said Gearldine DeLoach, guidance/college counselor for Pillow’s juniors and seniors.
“They are both intelligent but also hard workers. They are leaders at Pillow Academy and are excellent role models. Dia and Christopher are a pleasure to deal with in any situation. I feel sure that both of these students will be named National Merit finalists in February.”
Barrett Donahoe, Pillow’s head of school, had similar sentiments.
“We are very proud of the outstanding accomplishment of Dia and Christopher,” he said. “Being named a National Merit semifinalist is a tremendous honor. Not only does it speak volumes to their commitment to academic excellence, but also to Pillow Academy and the tremendous job the faculty and staff do on a daily basis to prepare our students for the future.”
- Contact Susan Montgomery at 581-7241 or smontgomery@gwcommonwealth.com.
The original version of this article misspelled the name of Gearldine DeLoach.
