44 students from West Hartford’s Hall High School have been recognized in a program that recognizes over 90,000 high-performing students worldwide to help open opportunities for their future.

All Commended Scholars, and Interim Principal Sarah Isaacs. Courtesy photo

Submitted by James Wallace, Student Activities/College & Career Center Coordinator

Hall High School proudly hosted an award’s ceremony on Tuesday, Oct, 29, 2024, to honor 44 exceptional students recognized through the College Board National Recognition Program, including several named National Merit Scholars Semifinalists. These commendations, awarded by College Board, celebrate the students’ outstanding performance on National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Tests.

Each student received a certificate in recognition of their achievement, symbolizing their hard work and the bright futures ahead of them. Following the ceremony, students and their families enjoyed a breakfast and meet-and-greet catered by Lox Stock Bagels & Bagels.

The event commenced with Interim Principal Sarah Isaacs highlighting the dedication and hard work demonstrated by the honorees, “It’s always a joy for me to speak about the incredible talents of our Hall students, and it’s especially gratifying when others, like the College Board, join us in recognizing how exceptional you all are.”

Every year, over 1.5 million students take the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test when they take the PSAT in the fall of their sophomore and/or junior years. The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

College Board’s BigFuture Nationally Recognized Students. Courtesy photo

The first award mentioned was for College Board’s BigFuture National Recognition Program. This award celebrates students who have excelled academically, scoring in the top 3-4% of test takers nationwide, and who identify as first-generation, African American, Hispanic, or Indigenous. Hall’s honorees are Tayma Abdulkareem, Alexander Alvares-Filshtein, Rodrigo Ballesteros, Zackary Bulaong, Maxwell Caley, Corliss Chen, Isaac Chung, Benjamin Dibella, Daniel Do, Katriane Dorismond, Sofia Greenfield, Lucinda Gwiazdoski, Rebecca Jian, Eric Lu, Benjamin Melchor, Isabella Minja, Grayson Rivers, Abhishek Sapkota, Tyler Scott, Andre Snellings, Bishal Thakur, Ciara Thorington, Jackie Viet, and Waylon Zheng.

The second award was for the PSAT/NMSQT Commended Students, recognizing those who scored among the top 2% of all test-takers on the PSAT. Their high scores reflect a student’s dedication and commitment to academic excellence. Hall’s honorees were Maxwell Bernstein, Georgia Caldwell, Seth Cosin, Benjamin Dibella, Jeremy Eisen, Aryan Grover, Emily Hartmann, Lia Howley, Jessica Jensen, Benjamin Johnson, Julian Long, Alexander Patt, Joshua Posner, Donovan Ravenburg, Charles Rose, and Reilly Shagensky.

PSAT/NMSQT Commended Students. Courtesy photo

Finally, Hall honored their National Merit Semifinalists, students who achieved a PSAT/NMSQT score placing them in less than 1% of test takers nationwide. These students will go on in competition to see whether they will be in the list of finalists to be announced this coming spring. Hall’s semifinalists are Sarah Granquist, Eric Lu, and Gavin Walker.

The event concluded with remarks from Principal Isaac. “We are so proud of each of you and thrilled to honor your accomplishments. Thank you for inspiring us with your dedication and excellence,” she said.

Hall High School remains committed to nurturing academic excellence and supporting students as they pursue their educational goals. This year’s celebration of 44 honorees reflects the school’s continued dedication to fostering an environment where students can thrive.

Students enjoy breakfast. Courtesy photo

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