By Justin Martinez | News Editor

After four years of consistent studying and dedicated preparation, senior Rosemary Pfaff applies for her dream college. Although it’s a prestigious school and thousands of other students are eager to get into it too, she has something on her resume that will make her stand out from all the rest; she’s a National Merit Finalist.

Every year, over 1.5 million juniors across the country take the PSAT. The top 50,000 highest scores are then recognized for their achievements. Amongst these 50,000 students, 16,000 are selected as National Merit Finalists. This year, four Johnson Jaguars qualified for this prestigious title. The four Johnson students that were awarded this title are Rosemary Pfaff, Max Fang, Jonah Bocanegra, and Kevin Bock.

“I’m so glad that I qualified for this award and it’s something that I’m really proud to have accomplished,” Pfaff said. “To get recognized for my results is a big relief and the time I put into it really paid off in the long run. I’m honored to be listed amongst such an intelligent group of people.”

These four Jaguars stood out by doing better than over a million other students and managed to distinguish themselves amongst a multitude of highly intelligent scholars across the country.

“I’m honored to have been rewarded with such a prestigious title. I’m glad to have had my efforts recognized amongst all these other students,” Senior Jonah Bocanegra said. “Not too many other students in the country can say that they were recognized as a National Merit Finalist as I am and it’s really something that I’m grateful and proud of.”

In addition to being recognized for their achievement, each one of the National Merit Finalists qualifies for a variety of scholarship offers. With the cost of college rising every year, scholarships can be a major difference maker for students.

“I made sure that I was really prepared for my SAT in order to come away with the best possible score,” Senior Max Fang said. “Despite this, I was still surprised with how well I did. To think that I’m going to get scholarship money because of how well I did is something that I’m really grateful for.”

To be a National Merit Finalist is an accomplishment that doesn’t come easy. This title is unobtainable without dedication and a desire to succeed.

“I did my best on the SAT because I knew how much I could gain from becoming a National Merit Finalist,” Senior Kevin Bock said. “Now that I’ve been given that title, I feel rewarded for all the time that I put into preparing for it. Becoming a National Merit Finalist is a major accomplishment for me.”