April 2017 News
PLATO Essay Winner
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Academy Junior Keith Murray won first prize in the 2017 PLATO (Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization) High School Essay Contest. PLATO is devoted to introducing philosophy to students before graduating high school. Organizers believe that philosophy is a key resource for preparing students for the challenges of the 21st century. The contest itself was open to all high school students in the U.S. and the students participating in the essay contest were asked, “How do we define art or determine what things count as art objects?” Murray’s essay, “Art is More than Beauty: It’s a Whetstone” stood out in a strong field of submissions. Keith received a check for $250.00 from PLATO for his submission and his essay will be published in PLATO’s official journal.
National Merit Scholarship Competition
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Based on their 2016 PSAT results, twelve Academy students met requirements to enter the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program. These students (listed below) were one of 50,000 highest-scoring participants with a Selection Index score of 211 or above who will be recognized in the fall. From the 50,000 high scorers nationwide, about 16,000 will be named National Merit Program Semifinalists, representing the top scorers in each state, and approximately 34,000 others will be commended for their performance on the PSAT. Semifinalists and Commended Students will learn of their standing in September 2017. Semifinalists will be the only students who will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for about 7,400 Merit Scholarship awards to be offered in 2018. Academy students recognized are:
Anna Beach
Angela Cardwell
Ningmei Gong
Nils Hinniger
Michael Hu
Ryan Martinez
Dione Miles-Morillo
Keith Murray
Julia Newbold
Conner Partaker
John Tade
Stanley Zheng