4 Elwood Students Earn Title of Commended Student

Four students from Elwood-John H. Glenn High School in the Elwood Union Free School District have earned the title of Commended Student in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Justin Yoskowitz, Kristopher Kwan, Katherine McPherson and Derek Lee have been placed among the top five percent of more than 1.6 million students who entered the competition by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test last October.

The students are four of 34,000 Commended Students being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Upon hearing the news, Principal Carisa Burzynski brought the students down to her office to congratulate them.

“I was a bit shocked,” Lee said. “Once I heard that David and Michael Hermanns qualified as Semifinalists in the competition, I thought I didn’t place at any level.”

“It was great finding out,” McPherson added. “I was so excited to tell my dad the news.”

Photos courtesy of the Elwood Union Free School District, Story by Syntax:

1) Elwood-John H. Glenn High School students Justin Yoskowitz (left), Kristopher Kwan (middle left), Derek Lee (middle right) and Katherine McPherson (right) have been named Commended Students in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program.

2) Elwood-John H. Glenn High School Commended Students with Principal Carisa Burzynski, Assistant Principals Leroy Cole and Tom Colletti and guidance counselor Carolyn Pollina.