Emporian Hallie Kretsinger is National Merit Finalist
By Bobbi Mlynar (Contact)
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Hallie Kretsinger, left, receives a certificate of merit from Emporia High School Principal Scott Sheldon this morning. Kretsinger was named a finalist in the National Merit Scholarship program.
If Hallie Kretsinger’s teachers thought she was one in a million, on Wednesday she came close to proving it.
Kretsinger was notified that she is a finalist in the National Merit Scholarship program. Approximately 1.4 million high-school seniors took the PSAT test last year. The students were winnowed down to semifinalists in late October and 15,000 finalists were announced on Wednesday.
When Emporia High School Principal Scott Sheldon called Kretsinger to his office Wednesday morning, shortly before she was scheduled to leave classes to go to an appointment, she simply assumed she needed to leave earlier than planned. She hadn’t, however, expected to see her mother and school counselors sitting in the office when she arrived. Sheldon had notified them so they could witness Kretsinger’s reaction to the announcement.
“It’s exciting,” Kretsinger said Wednesday afternoon. “I’m really happy about it.”
The 18-year-old has applied to four universities and the finalist designation will boost her already-impressive resume.
“Public universities are usually willing to give more scholarships based on your National Merit,” she said. “it’s the National Merit designation that helps you get in (larger universities).”
Kretsinger had studied during the summer for the PSAT test that would determine her standing in the scholarship program. PSATs include reading, mathematics and English, she said.
“Those are things that are covered from the time you start school,” she said. “Over the years in school I’ve always paid attention, was interested, tried to get everything out of it.”
She also spent time reading and looking up vocabulary words to prepare for the test.
Throughout her years at EHS, she has planned ahead by taking all of the honors classes and as many advanced placement classes as her schedules would allow.
“I’ve tried to prepare myself for college by taking the most challenging classes,” she said.
She already has been accepted by three universities and is waiting to hear from the fourth.
“Geographically, I wanted to stay Central,” she said. I wasn’t too excited about the idea of going far away. The farthest school is in Indiana. ...”
Her major field of study, at this point, is undetermined.
“I have a lot of interests, so it’s kind of hard to focus the one I want to go toward,” she said.
Kretsinger’s varied interests are reflected in a lengthy list of school activities and achievements on her resume.
Her involvements include the National Honor Society, the Renaissance Steering Committee, Class Board as a freshman and sophomore, Scholars Bowl, Emporia State University German Club, music ensembles, athletics and art.
She has designed holiday cards and donated two watercolor paintings to sell nationally as a fundraiser for the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Association of America. Her efforts have produced $5,000 to date. She also went to Washington, D.C., to lobby for the organization.
Kretsinger has tutored students in German, has been a server for the Emporia Senior Center bingo night, and worked with Project Emporia in a city-wide canned foot drive. She gives private tennis lessons and does house- and pet-sitting.
In addition to the National Merit designation, she received the Discover Card Tribute Award scholarship for community service and the Bausch and Lomb Science Award for most qualified student.
The community has honored her with the Lions Club Student of the Month and Wendy’s/ReMax Athlete of the Week award.
She also has been Student of the Quarter several times at EHS, and received the Scholastic Art Awards Gold Key and the Renaissance AAA Award for outstanding academics and attitude. Kretsinger also is a Kansas Honor Scholar.
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