Elizabeth Ligon, an Oxford High School senior, has made the semifinals of the 2009 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Ligon is one of about 16,000 students nationwide to make it into the semifinals of the 54th annual program, which doles out $2,500 scholarships.
‘I think it’s cool to be recognized,? said Elizabeth. ‘I was surprised and excited. It would be cool to make it to the final round, but it’s ok if I don’t.?
For Elizabeth, being a semifinalist for the merit program is a family tradition. Both of her parents were also merit scholars.
‘Several siblings of ours were also,? said Bonnie Ligon, Elizabeth’s mother. ‘Her father and I are very excited and proud of her.?
The semifinalists make up less than one percent of all high school seniors in America and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
Elizabeth’s guidance counselor, Mary Guzik, described her as an outstanding academic student.
‘She takes classes of rigor and does well in them,? Guzik said. ‘She tests well and I would say the thing that makes her probably very unique is she is a student with an appreciation for world culture, and languages and artistic endeavors. I think she’ll be a world traveler someday.?
If Elizabeth has her way, that’s what she’ll do. She wants to attend college and major in a program that allows her to travel and help people.
Other local students who were in the program and are among the 34,000 students commended for their exceptional academic promise include OHS seniors Katelyn McQuater, Brandon Parker and Anthony Sottile.
Ligon, McQuater, Parker and Sottile are among the top five percent of the more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2009 competition by taking the 2007 preliminary Standard Achievement Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.