SAN ANGELO, Texas — A West Texas high school student recently became part of a national category highlighting academic success.
San Angelo Central High School senior Robert Ou was named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist in mid-September, making him one of less than 1% of students across the nation who were selected for the honor.
"So I took the test, right, and I didn't know how I did on it and I just came by like it was another day of school and I left," Ou said. "And then one day I come to class and I check my score and I'm like, 'Oh my God, why is it so high?'. I'm like, 'Oh, maybe I'll get national merit,' and then I was like, 'Okay.' And then it was September and I was in my house and I was on my phone and I was like, 'I should check if I got this,' and then I was like, 'Oh, shoot, I'm in the range,' et cetera."
Ou completed the PSAT exam last year in a different district after reviewing practice questions in preparation. Still, he never expected to become a semifinalist. When he was called to Principal Jill Ross' office one day during school, the senior was unsure of what to expect.
"I was really happy, yeah, I was really happy 'cuz I've heard about scholarship opportunities and stuff and I was happy that I got it," Ou said.
According to Ross, Ou is the first Central student to become a semifinalist since 2011, making the accomplishment all the more exciting. Currently, Ou is working to complete the finalist application, which would allow him to achieve on step further in the overall process.
"It's a big deal to be a semifinalist," Ross said. "It's an even more impressive accomplishment to be a finalist and then to complete that process."
Recipients can then be qualified for scholarships in the following categories: National Merit $2500, Corporate-sponsored Merit, Corporate-sponsored Special and College-sponsored Merit scholarships.
Ou has received positive feedback from his classmates thus far. Looking ahead, he's taking the application process one day at a time.
Go to nationalmerit to learn more on the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and how to qualify for scholarships.