45 IMSA Seniors Take National Merit Honors
For Immediate Release, September 2000
For comment, contact Brenda Buschbacher at
(630) 907-5033
AURORA — A total of 45 Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) seniors have qualified as semifinalists in this year's National Merit Scholarship Corporation competition.
The semifinalists represent 34 communities and 42 home schools throughout Illinois. Local-area recipients include: (see list). More than 1.2 million seniors in more than 20,000 U.S. high schools entered the year 2001 competition by taking the qualifying exam in 1999 (their junior year). National semifinalists include approximately one-half of one percent of each state's seniors.
Semifinalists from throughout the nation will now try to advance to the finalist level of the competition. Approximately 7,900 finalists eventually will receive merit scholarships for college undergraduate study. Merit scholars will be announced in the spring of 2001.
Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall, IMSA president, noted that credit for the students' achievements should be shared. "Their outstanding performance is a tribute to the students themselves, as well as their families, home schools, and IMSA faculty and staff," she said.
Located in Aurora, Illinois, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) is an internationally-recognized pioneering educational institution created by the State to develop talent and stimulate excellence in teaching and learning in mathematics, science and technology. IMSA's advanced residential college preparatory program enrolls 650 academically talented Illinois students in grades 10-12. More than 14,000 teachers and 20,000 students in Illinois and beyond have benefited from IMSA's professional development and enrichment programs. IMSA serves the people of Illinois through innovative instructional programs, public and private partnerships, policy leadership and action research.
National Merit Scholars
| City | Last | First | MI | School | School City |
| Algonquin | Halsall | Anne | K. | Harry D Jacobs High School | Algonquin |
| Aurora | Feakins | Jonathan | A. | Aurora West High School | Aurora |
| Barrington | Yoo | Debra | H. | William Fremd High School | Palatine |
| Belleville | Schad | Joel | M. | O'fallon High School | O'fallon |
| Carol Stream | Khan | Arshia | Glenbard North High School | Carol Stream | |
| Charleston | Rooney | Thomas | P. | Charleston High School | Charleston |
| Chicago | Fisher | Elaine | M. | Edison Regional Gifted Center | Chicago |
| Chicago | Miceli | Keiko | A. | St Ignatius College Prep | Chicago |
| Chicago | Pikeas | Aristomenis | Lincoln Park High School | Chicago | |
| Decatur | Weber | Todd | F. | Eisenhower High School | Decatur |
| DeKalb | Lucek | Amanda | S. | Dekalb High School | Dekalb |
| Des Plaines | Citko | Ryan | D. | Elk Grove High School | Elk Grove Village |
| Des Plaines | Wong | Pius | D. | Elk Grove High School | Elk Grove Village |
| Dixon | Wasson | Winn | W. | Dixon High School | Dixon |
| Flora | Kumar | Nishant | Flora High School | Flora | |
| Gibson City | Sethakorn | Nan | Gcms High School | Gibson City | |
| Gurnee | Delfert | Patrick | R. | Warren Township High School | Gurnee |
| Gurnee | Rupprecht | Nicholas | A. | St Gilbert | Grayslake |
| Kankakee | Pettit | Charise | L. | Kankakee High School | Kankakee |
| Libertyville | Kelly | Lisa | M. | Libertyville Comm High School | Libertyville |
| Lombard | Richter | Emily | G. | Glenn Westlake Middle School | Lombard |
| Machesney Park | Tsai | Xiao | B.A. Hoffman Technical Ctr | Machesney Park | |
| Makanda | Kelly | Ryan | F. | Carbondale Comm High School | Carbondale |
| Matteson | Machalow | Jacobus | S. | Rich South High School | Richton Park |
| Melrose Park | Felish | Charles | C. | Holy Cross High School | River Grove |
| Milan | Hall | Matthew | D. | St. Katherine's St Marks Prep | Bettendorf |
| Naperville | Ihm | Catherine | M. | Naperville Central High School | Naperville |
| Naperville | Kim | Thomas | O. | Naperville North High School | Naperville |
| Naperville | Kwak | Joonil | Naperville Central High School | Naperville | |
| Naperville | Lu | Jean | J. | Kennedy Junior High School | Lisle |
| Naperville | Tsai | Christine | S. | Naperville North High School | Naperville |
| Naperville | Wat | Margaret | Neuqua Valley High School | Naperville | |
| Naperville | Xi | Cindy | Waubonsie Valley High School | Aurora | |
| New Lenox | Willis | Kelli | M. | Lincolnway Hs East Campus | Frankfort |
| Ottawa | Massey | Susan | E. | Ottawa Township High School | Ottawa |
| Palatine | Chen | Wen | J. | Palatine High School | Palatine |
| Park Ridge | Park | Brian | Maine South High School | Park Ridge | |
| Peoria | Park | Hyun-Joo | J. | Richwoods High School | Peoria |
| Princeton | Dinkelman | Megan | M. | Princeton High School | Princeton |
| Red Bud | Roscow | Cliff | A. | Gibault High School | Waterloo |
| Springfield | Raut | Yogesh | J. | Springfield High School | Springfield |
| Springfield | Whitaker | Stacia | E. | Springfield Southeast High Sch | Springfield |
| St. Charles | King | Kathleen | A. | St Charles High School | St Charles |
| Wheaton | Lorentzen | Katherine | P. | Wheaton-Warrenville South Hs | Wheaton |
| Wilmington | Mowers | Julie | E. | Wilmington High School | Wilmington |