Class of 2022 National Merit Scholarship Commended Students

Congratulations to the following 10 seniors for being named National Merit Scholarship Commended Students.

  • Hyunwoo Chong
  • Vincent Chung
  • Henry Cobb
  • Chase Hamdan
  • Christopher Hamdan
  • Grace Hopkins
  • Ruoya Huang
  • Arnav Rajashekara
  • Ellie Sampson
  • Christopher Tebben

These students were among approximately 34,000 high school students nationally who were recognized as National Merit Commended Students, separate from the 16,000 who were recognized as National Merit Scholar Semifinalists according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

High School Principal Ryan Aiello praised the students for their accomplishments, “I’m excited to announce and celebrate the accomplishments of these 10 incredible students. This illustrious group is as strong as any I’ve seen in my tenure at EC. Their commitment to academic excellence—in and out of the classroom—is both remarkable and admirable.”

Of the 10 students who were recognized, four students (Chase Hamdan, Christopher Hamdan, Ellie Sampson and Christopher Tebben) began their Eastside Catholic academic journey in middle school. 

A majority of the students provided goals for their future and advice for younger students.

  • Vincent Chung would like to attend Carnegie Mellon University, study computer science and branch out to machine learning. “Don’t ask permission to pursue something, do it now.”
  • Henry Cobb would like to study computer science. “Take your schoolwork seriously and work hard.”
  • Grace Hopkins would like to attend a college on the east coast and pursue political science. “Be yourself and enjoy high school!”
  • Ruoya Huang would like to attend Rice University and study either public policy or political science. “Always plan ahead and start early on your academic agendas. It will make you more prepared under all circumstances.”
  • Arnav Rajashekara would like to attend MIT, study computer science and eventually work in artificial intelligence. “Enjoy high school while it lasts. Everybody always says that to younger kids and when you’re young, you don’t really think much of it, but it really does go by before you can blink. Enjoy all that time and live in the moment.”
  • Ellie Sampson would like to pursue a degree in either mechanical or industrial engineering. “Work hard to find a good balance between schoolwork, athletics, and relationships.”
  • Christopher Tebben would like to study psychology in college. “Find a way to incorporate your passions into your classes! It'll make everything so much easier!”

Over 1.5 million juniors in more than 21,000 high schools entered the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students out of the 1.5 million who took the test.

(L-R): Hyunwoo Chong, Chase Hamdan, Arnav Rajashekara, Christopher Tebben, Grace Hopkins, Henry Cobb, Ellie Sampson, Vincent Chung, Ruoya Huang, Christopher Hamdan

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