After earning exemplary scores on the PSAT, 12 Allen High School seniors have been named as National Merit Finalists. Around 15,000 students are named finalists in the U.S., and half of them will become Merit Scholars and receive National Merit Scholarships. Winners will have the chance to receive up to $2,000 per year during college. Meet Allen’s finalists:

Lauren Schneider

Schneider took the SAT in 7th grade through Duke University’s TIP Program, which allowed her to familiarize herself with the test. Her passion lies with service and she is an active member in Key Club, NHS and NSHS. Schneider hopes to study neuroscience in college, yet she does not allow herself to get “wrapped up in cutthroat academic competition.”

Rebecca Campbell

From reading comic books to crocheting, Campbell’s interests are not limited. Her hobbies are accompanied with her passion for feminism and social justice. She also holds a spot in the top ten percent of her class and is a member of ASL club. Campbell plans on studying speech pathology, and she hopes to “make a positive difference in people’s lives.”

Kinsey Baltzell

PAL and band member Baltzell used her test-taking strategies to score high on the PSAT. In the future Baltzell hopes to study abroad to “understand what life is like in different parts of the world,” because she loves traveling and learning about different cultures. She will be attending the University of Oklahoma.

Kardelen Sertsoz

Sertsoz began preparing for the PSAT in middle school by taking practice tests regularly. She has a passion for languages and began studying Russian five years ago. Sertsoz is a member of German Club, NHS, Key Club and the Phoenix Literary Magazine. She hopes to become a professor to spread her knowledge and believes that “knowledge is a gift that must not be wasted.”

Samantha Lowrey

Lowrey is honored to be chosen as a finalist because the potential scholarship money will “make paying for college so much easier.” Lowrey enjoys working with animals and she is in the Practicum of Veterinary Medicine program. She also participates in FFA and works at the Chase Oaks Animal Clinic. She will attend Texas A&M University for biomedical sciences and veterinary school.

Hannah Wang

To succeed on the PSAT, Wang studied from prep books and took multiple practice tests. She is a violinist for the chamber orchestra, tutors students through Eagle Depot and is a member of the French National Honor Society and the UIL science team. Wang enjoys science and French, and she plans on “expanding upon [them] with [her] studies in college.”

Christine Pho

To prepare herself for the PSAT, Pho “slaved [herself] in test prep for a few years.” She is an active member of orchestra, academic UIL, HOSA and the Eagle Depot. She also enjoys street racing and making smoothies. In the future, Pho wants to continue to “have a positive outlook” and “be determined.”

Angela Dai

Dai enrolled in Karen Dillard College Prep to prepare herself for the PSAT. She is passionate about her artistic side and enjoys visual and digital art, which she uses “as a platform for [her] social and political views.” Dai hopes to attend Washington University and double-major in art and marketing.

Amogh Krishnagiri

An active member of Physics Club and Phoenix Council, Krishnagiri feels great about his “hard work paying off.” His passion is traveling and viewing city skylines around the world. Krishnagiri believes that his academic success comes from his appreciation for learning new things. In the future, he will study biomedical engineering and will go on to medical school. 

Caroline Bruner

Her advanced vocabulary skills and a prep class allowed Bruner to succeed on the PSAT. She is on Allen’s Varsity girls soccer team and she also plays for a boys soccer league outside of school. Bruner is “exceptionally driven and motivated to succeed,” and she will attend the University of Texas at Dallas to major in accounting and play on UTD’s women’s soccer league.

Beau Bost

Bost is a devoted Oklahoma Sooners, Dallas Cowboys and Manchester United fan. What sets him apart from others is his “understanding of the big picture in life,” which allows him to not stress over the present. Bost will attend the University of Oklahoma to study business and petroleum engineering.