2 Valley View Students Named National Merit Semifinalists

Five Valley View School District 365U students have been honored for their academic excellence by the National Merit Scholarship Program, with two of the VVSD students moving on in the national competition that began last year with 1.6 million entrants nationwide, according to a Valley View news release.

Romeoville High School’s Elizabeth Zahorick and Bolingbrook High School’s Robert Masek are National Merit semifinalists, while Christy Parzyszek and Mary Woloszyn from BHS and Laurel Wirkus are National Merit Commended Students.

Zahorick and Masek were among the highest scoring entrants in Illinois on last year’s Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) which means they are still in the running for a National Merit Scholarship. Merit Scholarship award winners are chosen from a Finalist group (to be announced in February) based on their “abilities, skills, and accomplishments without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.”

Parzyszek, Woloszyn and Wirkus earned “Commended” status based on their outstanding academic promise. Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some Commended Students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.

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