Contact: Jenni Brockman
Telephone: 804-443-3357 (w)
Fax: 804-443-6781
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Whitney Bowen Commended in 2000 Merit Program
Whitney Bowen, a senior day student from Heathsville, has been named a Commended Student in the 2000 National Merit Scholarship Program. A letter of commendation from the conductors of the program, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), will be presented by Headmistress Margaret R. Broad in recognition of Bowen’s scholastic achievement.
St. Margaret's School senior Whitney Bowen, of Heathsville, stands in front of SMS Hall.
"To be recognized by a prestigious national award program like the National Merit Scholarship Program is a true honor," Broad said. "Whitney is a well-deserving recipient of this recognition. We hope that her scholastic achievement will continue next year in college."
More than 34,000 Commended Students nationwide have been recognized for their exceptional academic records. Although each will no longer contend for Merit Scholarship awards offered this spring, Commended Students place among the top five percent of more than one million students who entered the 2000 Merit Program by taking the 1998 Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test.
"The young people named Commended Students have demonstrated exemplary academic potential by their high performance in the competitive National Merit Program. These scholastically talented youth represent a valuable resource to our nation. It is important to publicly recognize their attainments and to credit schools for the important part they play in their development," a Merit Program spokesperson said. "We hope this recognition will help to broaden the educational opportunities of Commended Students and serve as encouragement to them and other able students to develop their abilities to the fullest."
"Whitney’s outstanding performance at St. Margaret’s says a great deal about what she will take to college next fall," says St. Margaret’s College Counselor Mollie Conklin, of Warsaw. "I have no doubt that Whitney will excel in college and make the most of her education."
Whitney is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Bowen of Heathesville. Her sister, Morgan, also an SMS graduate, is a student at James Madison University.
