Sandpoint students show academic success
— Photo by MARY MALONE Sandpoint High School seniors Hannah Fingel and Reilly Wolfe qualified for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
— Photo by MARY MALONE Sandpoint High School senior Reilly Wolfe, 17, was named a commended student the National Merit Scholarship Program after making the top 5 percent of 1.6 million students nationwide.
— Photo by MARY MALONE Sandpoint High School senior Hannah Fingel, 17, is a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program.
SANDPOINT — Two Sandpoint High School students, showing outstanding academic success, qualified for the 2017 National Merit Program after taking the PSATs last year.
"It's really a great opportunity," said Hannah Fingel, a 17-year-old SHS senior who hopes to attend Harvard University next year.
Reilly Wolfe, also 17 and a SHS senior, landed in the top five percent with a GPA of 4.2 and was named a commended student in the program. He agreed with Fingel that the program is a great opportunity and he is enjoying the "upper-level" status of his achievement.
Wolfe plans to major in computer engineering at the University of Idaho and although commended students are not eligible for the program's scholarships, his exceptional academic achievements and the recognition by the National Merit Program will aid him in other scholarship opportunities and honors programs throughout his college career. Wolfe's interest in computer engineering stemmed in part from classes with Alex Gray, an instructor in the career-technical program at SHS.
"I've also been working as a paid IT intern for the school district — I'm having a lot of fun with that," he said.
Wolfe is also the captain of the cross country and tennis programs, and enjoys other outdoor activities such as snow skiing and water skiing.
Fingel also enjoys a busy schedule as she maintains a 4.33 GPA while working at Eve's Leaves, participating in the National Honor Society, volunteering and playing the piano.
In college she plans to major in engineering, either civil or environmental. Harvard is her first choice for college, but she is skeptical of her chances with the university's 5 percent acceptance rate. As a backup, she is also applying to Biola University in Southern California. She became interested in engineering after taking college courses at Stanford University two summers ago.
Fingel is still in the running as a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program and said it would help financially, especially if she is accepted into Harvard.
"Even if I don't get it, it's just an honor to make it this far," Fingel said.
Tom Albertson, SHS principal, said he and the staff at SHS are proud of Wolfe and Fingel for their high academic achievement.
"Hannah and Reilly have high aptitude and great work ethic," Albertson said. "But, also, I really want to give credit to the teachers they have had all the way through their career as students in the Lake Pend Oreille School District because they have had opportunities to excel by staff members in elementary schools, middle schools and obviously the teachers they have here at Sandpoint High."
Both Wolfe and Fingle were born and raised in Sandpoint, so both grew up in the district.
The National Merit Scholarship Program is designed by the nonprofit National Merit Scholarship Corporation based in Illinois. Every student is required to take the PSAT exam, or equivalent college entrance exam, and about 1.6 million students qualified for the 2017 program nationwide.
Jeralyn Mire, post-secondary transition counselor at SHS, said the actual scholarship through the program is only about $2,000, but some colleges, such as the University of Idaho, give National Merit students full-ride scholarships. She said every college views the program differently and has their own policies around it.
Fingel will find out in the spring whether she qualifies as a finalist, but in the meantime, SHS is getting ready for the next round of juniors to take the qualifying PSAT exam on Oct. 19.
Mire said SHS is fairly unique because the school pays for the students to take the PSAT exam and it is scheduled during regular school hours. Students from other schools are often required to pay $15 and take the exam on a Saturday.
"I think what's exciting for our students is that, they don't maybe wake up and think 'I get to take a test today,' but they are comfortable with it," she said.
She said there is less anxiety and more success among SHS students because they are able to practice the exam ahead of time and do not have to pay or go in on their own time. The PSATs are important not only for college entrance, but also for scholarship opportunities, she said.