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ENLARGE
Sterling Vinson
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The best and the brightest academics at Incline High School share one commonality — their level of involvement.
Whether playing soccer, participating in local internships or serving as class president, a top-notch student at IHS often wears a number of different hats and excels in a number of fields.
Four of those students earned recognition last week on a national basis. Michael Ceragioli, Sean McClelland, Shanna Murray and Sterling Vinson each were named semifinalists for the National Merit Award, which recognizes 8,200 students an awards them with a slice of more than $36 million is scholarships.
They are competing with about 16,000 students nationally for the coveted finalists awards, handed out next spring.
Ceragioli is a four-year varsity soccer player and has two years of varsity basketball under his belt and intends to play again this year. The senior said he is excited for the award, and said his strengths as an academic are in the social sciences.
“My strengths are more in social studies, English, writing and reading,” he said. “Math is a little more difficult for me, but I think I do pretty well on everything.”
He, like the other four students, is enrolled in Incline's “We The People” civics course this year, and views the course as potentially the most challenging in a classload including four advanced placement courses.
Vinson, a four-year cross country and track runner who also serves in the Incline JROTC Highlander Battalion and on the IHS Academic Olympics team, said he's also looking forward most to the “We The People” course this year.
“I think it's the class I can take the most away from, that I can learn the most from,” Vinson said. He said his strengths are in math and science, adding that to combat a perceived weakness in English, he needs to put extra time in.
Murray said getting help in classes she's struggled with, like math, is easy.
“Because we're so small you're able to work one-on-one with a lot of teachers here,” Murray said. “I think that's a big advantage to going to a smaller school.”
Murray has played volleyball all four years and has so far earned two varsity letters in basketball, in addition to her duties as senior class president and her positions on the National Honor Society and with the school's French Club.
McLelland said the key to his academic success is an inquisitive nature.
“I pride myself on asking a lot of questions,” McLelland said. “I'm constantly questioning the norms — I think that's where my success comes from.”
The two-year cross country runner, also a black belt in tae kwon do, said “We The People” will provide the stiffest academic challenge this year in a schedule which includes three AP courses.
For recognition as a National Merit finalist, a semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal and earn SAT scores confirming the student's earlier performance on the qualifying test.
Whether playing soccer, participating in local internships or serving as class president, a top-notch student at IHS often wears a number of different hats and excels in a number of fields.
Four of those students earned recognition last week on a national basis. Michael Ceragioli, Sean McClelland, Shanna Murray and Sterling Vinson each were named semifinalists for the National Merit Award, which recognizes 8,200 students an awards them with a slice of more than $36 million is scholarships.
They are competing with about 16,000 students nationally for the coveted finalists awards, handed out next spring.
Ceragioli is a four-year varsity soccer player and has two years of varsity basketball under his belt and intends to play again this year. The senior said he is excited for the award, and said his strengths as an academic are in the social sciences.
“My strengths are more in social studies, English, writing and reading,” he said. “Math is a little more difficult for me, but I think I do pretty well on everything.”
He, like the other four students, is enrolled in Incline's “We The People” civics course this year, and views the course as potentially the most challenging in a classload including four advanced placement courses.
Vinson, a four-year cross country and track runner who also serves in the Incline JROTC Highlander Battalion and on the IHS Academic Olympics team, said he's also looking forward most to the “We The People” course this year.
“I think it's the class I can take the most away from, that I can learn the most from,” Vinson said. He said his strengths are in math and science, adding that to combat a perceived weakness in English, he needs to put extra time in.
Murray said getting help in classes she's struggled with, like math, is easy.
“Because we're so small you're able to work one-on-one with a lot of teachers here,” Murray said. “I think that's a big advantage to going to a smaller school.”
Murray has played volleyball all four years and has so far earned two varsity letters in basketball, in addition to her duties as senior class president and her positions on the National Honor Society and with the school's French Club.
McLelland said the key to his academic success is an inquisitive nature.
“I pride myself on asking a lot of questions,” McLelland said. “I'm constantly questioning the norms — I think that's where my success comes from.”
The two-year cross country runner, also a black belt in tae kwon do, said “We The People” will provide the stiffest academic challenge this year in a schedule which includes three AP courses.
For recognition as a National Merit finalist, a semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal and earn SAT scores confirming the student's earlier performance on the qualifying test.
