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More than 20 students at Fort Worth Country Day (FWCD) have been recognized for their outstanding academic achievements by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and the College Board National Recognition Programs. The recognitions include one National Merit Semifinalist, 11 National Merit Commended Students, and 23 students who earned honors through the College Board, with some students receiving multiple accolades.
The National Merit Semifinalist at Fort Worth Country Day is Andrew Lobo ’26. Lobo is among 1,673 Semifinalists in Texas and 16,000 Semifinalists nationwide, a group representing less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. He scored in the top tier of the more than 1.3 million students who took the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Lobo now has the opportunity to advance to the Finalist level and compete for one of approximately 6,900 National Merit Scholarships.
Eleven (11) FWCD seniors were named National Merit Commended Students for their exceptional academic promise. They are Nate Blan, Avery Bleich, Courtney Comeaux, Luci Gonzalez, GiGi Helling, William Marlow, Paxtyn McPeak, Eliza Peacock, Adam Rafati, Hailey Seiden and Kerri Tsai. These students are among the top 34,000 high-scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT nationwide and 4,653 in Texas.
“Being named a Commended Student is a remarkable academic achievement and speaks to the students’ hard work and intellectual talent,” said Kristin Larsen, Director of College Counseling at FWCD. “This year’s cutoff for advancing to Semifinalist was the highest it has ever been in Texas, and several of our students came incredibly close to that level.”
In addition, a record 23 FWCD students earned honors through the College Board National Recognition Programs, which celebrate outstanding achievement among students whose PSAT/NMSQT or AP scores are in the top 10% for their school. These awards include the School Recognition Award, which honors students for academic excellence within their school, and the First-Generation Recognition Award, which celebrates students who are the first in their families to pursue a college degree.
FWCD honorees for the College Board School Recognition Award are Cannon Black ’26, Nate Blan ’26, Avery Bleich ’26, Charlie Cady ’27, Courtney Comeaux ’26, Luci Gonzalez ’26, GiGi Helling ’26, Sean Hong ’27, Andrew Lobo ’26, William Marlow ’26, Paxtyn McPeak ’26, Brooklyn Ogozalik ’26, Eliza Peacock ’26, Adam Rafati ’26, Samantha Saade ’26, Hailey Seiden ’26, Kerri Tsai ’26, Akshay Vasudevan ’26 and Blake Wood ’27. Honorees who received the First-Generation Recognition Award are Esteban Gomez ’26, Sophia Jiang ’26, Rayden Liddell ’27, and Sebastian Zelaya ’27.
“These recognitions are a tremendous source of pride for our entire Falcon community,” added Larsen. “Having 20+ students recognized by the nation’s top academic scholarship programs highlights not only our students’ dedication and hard work, but also the unwavering support from our exceptional faculty and families.”
ABOUT FORT WORTH COUNTRY DAY
Since 1963, Fort Worth Country Day has inspired the passion to learn, the courage to lead, and the commitment to serve through a program that fosters the intellectual, physical, emotional, and ethical development of its students. Situated on 104 acres in southwest Fort Worth, FWCD’s 220 faculty and staff members teach and support students in grades JK-12. Offering a comprehensive college-preparatory curriculum, Fort Worth Country Day focuses on the 3A’s—academics, arts, and athletics—to provide balanced experiences and opportunities for students. To learn more about Fort Worth Country Day, visit www.fwcd.org
or www.Facebook.com/FortWorthCountryDay.
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