Six additional students from Columbus Academy have been recognized in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Academy seniors Gigi Bates, Max Brown, Evan Farrenkopf, Alexandria Graham, Whitney Hannallah and Medha Sinha have been named Commended Students for their exceptional academic promise demonstrated by outstanding performances on the 2018 PSAT.
Columbus Academy’s 2020 National Merit Commended Students:
Gigi Bates, daughter of Dr. Genevieve Bates of Worthington
Favorite classes: Computer Science and Statistics
Interests: baking, sewing and making people laugh
Possible fields of study: computer science or mathematics
Max Brown, son of Donald Brown ’90 and Tanisha Brown of New Albany
Favorite classes: English, Moral Philosophy, and Biology
Interests: football, theatre, drawing and painting
Possible fields of study: architecture or pre-medicine
Evan Farrenkopf, son of Stefan Farrenkopf and Brelle Farrenkopf of Gahanna
Favorite classes: Jazz Band, Advanced Philosophical Ethics and Justice, Honors Calculus 2
Interests: discovering international music, writing and producing my own music with a focus on guitar, and exploring Columbus
Possible fields of study: music technology, philosophy
Alexandria Graham, daughter of Carl Graham and Christina Graham of Columbus
Favorite class: Comparative Government
Interests: politics, debate (co-president), tennis (varsity captain), Chinese language (co-president of East Asia Club), traveling
Possible fields of study: political science, law, forensics/pathology
Whitney Hannallah, daughter of Dr. David Hannallah and Dr. Kristin Foley of Bexley
Favorite classes: Computer Science and Stats
Interests: computer science and technology
Possible fields of study: computer science, ethics and justice
Medha Sinha, daughter of Dr. Shantanu Sinha and Dr. Vijaya Venkataraman of Pickerington
Favorite classes: math (Multivariable Calculus and Stats this year)
Interests: dance, volunteering
Possible fields of study: finance or economics
To learn more about Columbus Academy’s 12 National Merit Semifinalists announced earlier this month, click here.
Over 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2018 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation recognizes the 50,000 highest scores with either Semifinalist or Commended status, representing the top three percent of U.S. high school seniors.