Three Walt Whitman High School seniors have just been awarded National Merit Scholarships.
Winners in the National Merit Scholarship Program are: Joseph VanGostein, Joshua Joseph and Kentaro Matsushima.
“This prestigious award is only given to 2,500 students nationwide,” said Whitman Principal John Murphy. “To receive three awards in one school in the same year is an amazing feat and a tribute to the type of students we have here at Whitman.”
Scholarships awarded through National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) programs are regarded as some of the highest academic honors attainable by U.S. high school students. “I will be pursuing a career in Mechanical Engineering,” said Kentaro, who is president of the Mathletes team at Whitman. “Since several of the top sponsors of this award are technology companies, that tells me that I’m on the right track to furthering my career.”
“This award is the culmination of much more than just two years of test taking and filling out applications,” said Joseph VanGostein. “It represents pride, and not just in myself and my accomplishments, but pride in my school, who did a great job preparing me for these exams every step of the way. I want to especially thank my guidance counselor. I’m very grateful for all of the opportunities I’ve gotten here at Whitman.”
“Receiving this award is representative of being recognized as a well-rounded individual,” said Joshua Joseph. “Along the way your recognized for your test scores but then it becomes so much more, and it’s validation of what I’ve been working hard towards.”