Meet Jessica Miller, Greendale's National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalist

GREENDALE, WI — Someday, Jessica Miller will be helping to build rocket ships for NASA. But if you know Miller, she's just as likely someday to be exploring the human genome to develop more effective medicines, or crafting her work to write the next great American musical.

Miller, an 18-year-old senior at Greendale High School, is one of two National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists, and has big dreams.

Miller says UCLA is her top college, however she's also applying to Rice University, University of the Pacific, University of Southern California, Stanford University, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology. Her senior course load is chocked full of college-preparatory classes like AP Psychology, AP Calculus BC, AP Physics 1, Creative Writing and Mythology.

"I am planning on majoring in Computer Engineering or Computer Science with a focus on Aerospace Engineering. My dream job has always been to help build rocket ships for NASA, and I've always loved working with computers, as I've taken multiple coding courses and a Digital Electronics course," she said. "Computer Engineering is also a good education to have to work in multiple different science departments, because all departments, from the medical field to the aerospace field, use computers."

As one of two National Merit Scholarship finalists in Greendale this year, she is in rare company already. About 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools took the PSAT last year, and the national pool of semifinalists represents less than 1 percent of all U.S. high school seniors.

Of the 16,000 semifinalists, about 15,000 will become finalists, and among them, roughly 7,500 will receive some form of scholarship through the program.

But before you get the idea of Miller as the silent, studious type, Miller would say her friends describe her as "loud, proud, and outgoing." She does her best to be there for others when they need her, and and to put a smile on her friends' faces. "It's really important to me to have a positive attitude, so I work hard to make every moment count," she said.

She's a member of the Varsity Girls Swim Team, and one of the leaders of the clarinet section of the marching band. She's also part of the National Art Honors Society and the National Honors Society, and plans to join Creative Writing Club and the stage crew for the musical — when her schedule clears up next semester.

Outside of school, Miller has an affinity for drawing, reading and writing short stories. "It's super relaxing to me to be able to jog my imagination and to create something, and I love to draw pictures for my friends as gifts so that they can critique my work. I sketch a lot to help me focus during classes, and it's become a beautiful habit that I use to improve my art techniques," she said.

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