Faulkner County high school seniors named National Merit Finalists

Several Faulkner County high school seniors are National Merit Finalists for 2015-2016.

Conway High School had nine finalists; Greenbrier High School, one; and Russellville High School, two.

The following is a brief look at those finalists.

Conway High School

• Timothy Robert Ablondi, the son of Susan and Fred Ablondi, plans to attend Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. He said he is unsure of his major and possible career choice.

He said he received a National Merit Scholarship.

“I was extremely happy and humbled to know I was among the top 1 percent of seniors in the nation,” he said. “I would like to thank my family and all of my teachers who have helped me get to where I am today.”

• Samuel Cloyd, the son of Tim Cloyd and Rebecca Davis, plans to attend Rhodes College in Memphis, where he will major in biology and economics. He later hopes to attend

medical school and become an orthopedic surgeon.

He said he received a full-tuition merit award to Rhodes College and a National Merit Scholarship.

“I was thrilled and excited when I heard the news (being named a National Merit Finalist),” he said. “I was happy that I received one of the most prestigious recognitions in the country for all my hard work at Conway High.”

• Allison Nicole Dombek, the daughter of Eric and Susan Dombek, plans to attend the University of Texas at Dallas and major in art and technology. She said she is considering careers in game design or animation.

“When I found out I was a National Merit Finalist, I was relieved because I knew it meant I had a better chance at affording college,” she said. “I was also happy that my hard work in high school had paid off.”

• Jennie Rachel Lance, the daughter of Dee and Steven Lance, plans to attend Hendrix College in Conway, where she will major in biochemistry, working toward a career in the medical field.

In addition to being a National Merit Scholar, she also received the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship. She accepted the Hendrix Academic Scholarship, the Odyssey Distinguished Award and the Hendrix Music Scholarship.

• Matthew Sweere, the son of Daniel and Kathi Sweere, plans to attend Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and major in economics and finance.

He received a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship, as well as the Regents Scholarship and the Regents Gold Scholarship at Baylor, the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship and Baylor’s National Merit Scholarship, along with several local scholarships.

“I was excited and relieved,” he said when he learned he had been named a National Merit Finalist. “National Merit was one of the three goals I had set for myself to achieve. The other two were valedictorian and a perfect score on the ACT. I was thrilled to achieve all three of my goals.”

Conway High School seniors David Desrochers, Bradley Wickliffe, Juan Melendez and Joshua Vines also are National Merit Finalists. They did not respond to requests for comment.

Greenbrier High School

• Caroline Harrod, the daughter of Ann and Johnny Harrod, plans to attend the University of Central Arkansas in Conway to pursue a bachelor’s degree in music education, likely followed by a master’s degree in performance. She hopes to become a symphony musician and/or a collegiate/high school music teacher.

She received the UCA Academic Distinguished Scholarship, as well as a music scholarship and the Governor’s

Distinguished Scholarship.

Following graduation at Greenbrier High School, she received an Associate of Arts degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for having 60-plus hours of concurrent credit.

“I had serious doubt that I would be named a National Merit Finalist,” Harrod said. “I think I screamed really loudly when I found out. It’s all a bit fuzzy. I was the first finalist from Greenbrier in a couple of years, so everyone was really excited for me.”

Russellville High School

• Emily Jordan, the daughter of Susan and Scott Jordan, plans to attend the University of Arkansas and major in psychology. She plans to be a research psychologist, focusing on education.

She received the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship, as well as a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship.

Jordan said she was “excited and honored” when she learned she had been named a National Merit Finalist.

“I was glad to find out that I am academically competitive on a national level,” she said. “I am excited to work hard and honor this title.”

• Katherine Skartvedt, the daughter of Sandy Skartvedt and Mark Skartvedt, currently attends Hendrix College, where she is majoring in neuroscience.

“I will likely attend either medical school or enter into graduate studies after graduating,” she said.

“I was pleased to have

received the [National Merit] award,” she said. “It is an honor to have received it.”

She received the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship in 2015, as well as various Hendrix scholarships. She was an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction in 2015 and a Highest Honors graduate at Greenbrier High School in 2015.

These National Merit Finalists were named semifinalists,

along with approximately 16,000 students nationwide in the National Merit Scholarship competition in September 2015. From those students, approximately 15,000 advanced to finalists, and approximately 7,500 of those finalists will have been selected to receive National Merit scholarships by the time the competition ends in July. They represent less than 1 percent of the nation’s seniors.

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. is a not-for-profit corporation that was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program.

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