Antilles seniors Maggie Huang and Grace Randall are semifinalists in the 64th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The students join approximately 16,000 academically-talented students across the country who were recently recognized and now have the opportunity to advance to the next round of the National Merit competition. Finalists will be named in February 2019, and winners in July 2019.
“The numbers are in and there is no question that these two young women are smart – in fact, in the top 1 percent of all high school seniors,” Antilles Head of School Liz Morrison said. “But what I find more impressive is their joy of learning, their insatiable appetite for pondering ideas, and their intellectual generosity. We are proud of these two young women and their accomplishments, and look forward to seeing what the future holds for them.”
A budding environmental scientist, Randall aspires to attend Princeton or Duke in the fall, while Huang, whose passion is computer programming, has her sights set on Carnegie Mellon.
The story of their friendship is an inspiring one, ignited when the pair first met in the fall of their sophomore year. Like many families on-island affected by last September’s storms, Huang’s parents most recently relocated to the mainland for work – but, when she opted to stay on-island and finish high school at Antilles, the Randall family were quick to offer her a home.
“We help one another process things; we bounce ideas and thoughts; we support one another,” Randall said. “Not just with school things, but all the other stuff – the life stuff. I think for both of us, that makes all the difference.”
Watching the pair over the past year, Antilles Director of College Counseling Dr. Isabel Borrás-Marín praised the girls’ determination.
“When they have a goal, they both do whatever it takes to attain it,” Borrás-Marín said. “For Maggie, it’s pushing through one of the most demanding academic schedules I’ve ever seen – and not only being successful but balancing sports and personal interests on top of it. And, for Grace, it’s about changing the world, being an independent thinker, and helping others to see life from a different perspective.”
For more information about the National Merit Scholarship Program, its rules and requirements, visit https://www.nationalmerit.org/.
