Meet Northfield's National Merit Finalists: Lily O’Hara-Brantner

Editor's note: Out of 1.5 million applicants, five Northfield seniors are in a group of 15,000 National Merit finalists. Each student has a chance at one of several scholarship opportunities. This week, Northfield Patch features those five students, with one profile running each day Monday-Friday.

Name: Lily O’Hara-Brantner Caroline O’Hara and Tim Brantner

Post-graduation plans: Honors Program at the University of Minnesota , Twin Cities

Favorite high school moment: Just about every moment I’ve spent in English and art.

Toughest moment (you're willing to share):

This year, I decided to drop AP Calculus after semester one. I felt guilty, but I was struggling to balance everything and I decided that dropping calculus would allow me to focus on other areas of my academic life. Deciding to drop a class was an extremely freeing experience, and it reinforced the idea I have tried to base my high school experience around: focus on studying what you love, and be honest about what you can handle.

How did you get here? Reflect on what it took to get a month from graduation.

When I look back on my high school years, I do not regret my decision to focus mainly on school. I do not feel as if I have truly sacrificed anything to get to the point I am at today; I have always loved learning and most parts of school, so for me working hard and focusing on academics rarely felt like an obligation. Throughout the last four years, school has definitely been my main focus, but I have also found fulfillment in art, volunteering, dance, and many other activities.

High school has taught me to work for a healthy balance in my life, and let go of some of my perfectionist tendencies. As a result, I have become a person who is thrilled by the process of learning something new, as opposed to only focusing on the end result, and I feel fully prepared for the next stage of my life.

What do you see in the future? Do you want to travel? Get done with college as soon as possible? What are your ambitions?

Next year I will be attending the Honors Program at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. I am interested in a wide range of subjects, but at this point I plan on studying English, art, and history. I chose the U because of its location and because I do not have to be hemmed in, studying only one topic. I am also unbelievably excited to study abroad in college. After college I plan on taking a gap year, which I will spend traveling and working, and then I will most likely go to graduate school. Beyond that I am not sure what I want to do, but I do know that I want to find a career that is both meaningful and challenging.