Dr. Sonja Rich, principal of Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State, announced that Heather Marsh has been named a Commended Student in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program. A Letter of Commendation from the school and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, will be presented by Dr. Rich.

Heather began attending Collegiate High School in the 10th grade. She is now a high school senior who will graduate in 2017 with a both a high school diploma and an associate degree. She is fascinated with biology and Spanish and plans to double major in these subjects when she attends a university next fall. Heather also enjoys volunteering at her church's children's ministry and reading novels in her spare time. 

“I'm honored to receive this prestigious award, and am reminded of a quote from J.K. Rowling, that ‘It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.’ Collegiate High has helped me grow to a place where I can achieve this honor, and I feel blessed to have been given the title of Commended Merit Scholar,” shares Marsh.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2017 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students have placed among the top five percent of more than 1.6 million students who entered the 2017 competition by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).

“The young men and women being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”

For more information about Hamilton County Collegiate High School at Chattanooga State, call 423-697-4492 or visit https://www.chattanoogastate.edu/high-school/collegiate-high.