Minuteman High School senior Sean Datar of Acton is named a Commended Scholar in the National Merit Scholarship Program

By Judy Bass

Sean Datar of Action, a senior at Minuteman High School in Lexington, has been named a Commended Scholar in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Mr. Datar earned this distinction because he excelled on the qualifying test administered by the Program in 2015. He is among 34,000 students nationwide who received this honor.

Another Minuteman senior, Jacob Blum of Wilmington, was also recognized as a Commended Student.

"I am extremely proud of Sean and Jacob, but not surprised,” said Principal Jack Dillon. “The two of them are dedicated students and have always strived for perfection. This is a real nice honor for them, but I'm sure there will be many more as they wind down their career here at Minuteman."

According to information from the Program, “Over 1.6 million students took the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test last October and entered the National Merit Scholarship Program.” Commended Students comprised the top five percent of all those who took the exam.

“Minuteman helped me achieve this honor because of its emphasis on applying mathematics (and English) into my career and technical education major,” said Mr. Datar. “As a student in Robotics, I am constantly reinforcing my academic knowledge in an interesting, absorbing, and actually entertaining manner. This naturally improved my standardized test scores.”

“I am very proud to have earned this commendation,” he added. “I am excited to see how this may improve my competitive standpoint when applying to colleges.” Mr. Datar plans to become an electrical engineer with a focus in analog technology. He hopes to earn a master's degree, and is thinking of a small-business/start-up company career path.

Minuteman is an award-winning regional high school that integrates robust academic and career & technical learning to deliver a revolutionary competitive advantage. The school serves a diverse student body with multiple learning styles, expanding opportunities for college and career success. As an accredited member of the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), Minuteman challenges all students to aspire to their full potential, accelerate their learning, and achieve success in the 21st-century global community.