Three Brookhaven High School seniors have distinguishedthemselves from all the other scholars in the county by achievingthe honor of National Merit Semifinalist, a distinction that isawarded to only about 16,000 students in the country annually.

Blaise Braden, Maggie Cupit and Hannah Rice said the honor isone that none of them expected, but they were all excitedabout.

“I think it’ll be a bigger deal when we’re finalists,” saidCupit, alluding to the possibility of scholarships that come withthat distinction.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation lists its goals asidentifying and honoring academically talented U.S. high schoolstudents; stimulating increased support for their education; andproviding efficient and effective scholarship program managementfor organizations that wish to sponsor college undergraduatescholarships. Since its founding, NMSC has recognized 3 millionstudents and provided over 335,000 scholarships worth more than$1.3 billion to exceptionally able students.

The students’ recognition is based on academic excellence aswell as a high Preliminary SAT (PSAT) score. Fifty thousandstudents across the country receive a letter of commendation in thefirst phase, then the 16,000 semifinalists are selected.

From there, the semifinalists submit an SAT score, high schoolcourses and grades, extracurricular and volunteer activities, andan essay to affirm their performance on the PSAT. Then 15,000finalists are picked nationwide.

And the eliteness of those honored with the scholarshipsometimes adds to the fact that people aren’t always sure what itis.

“I was talking to people at work and they’d never heard of thePSAT,” Braden said. “They were like, ‘National Merit what?'”

Rice and Cupit said they’d received a lot more mail fromcolleges interested in having them as students.

“I did get a handwritten letter from USM,” said Braden, much tothe surprise of his counterparts.

“I did too!” Rice said.

As it turns out, so had Cupit. And that isn’t all they have incommon as they look toward the future. Each of the three isinterested in the medical field in some way or another.

Braden said he’d like to be a thoracic surgeon one day, and heis particularly interested in attending Oklahoma University becauseof a scholarship program there that helps with the first year of aprofessional degree.

“And OU has a really good medical school,” he said.

But, Braden said, if that doesn’t work out, he’s also interestedin the University of Mississippi, Alabama or Auburn.

Cupit said she definitely wants to go to college out of state,but that she hasn’t decided yet if she’s more interested in Emory,Vanderbilt or Duke. She said she’s also interested in going intopre-med.

“But I also want to study philosophy, and I love to write,” shesaid.

Rice said she’s looking at the University of Mississippi, whereshe wants to study biology and medical technology and become apediatric oncologist or a biomedical researcher.

“I’ve taken a lot of Spanish classes,” Rice said. “I want to domedical mission trips.”

The three are definitely involved in not only the academicprocesses of high school but also the extracurriculars.

Among other things, Cupit has been a standout in the forensicsand debate field, as well as in theatre, and said she’s eveninvolved in teaching yoga classes. On Rice’s resume is extensiveinterest in the band, playing French horn and melophone, serving asthe color guard captain, and during her junior year at MississippiSchool of the Arts she enjoyed singing and individual voicelessons. Braden is a soccer player and Eagle Scout, as well servingon the Youth Ambassadors Council for the Mississippi Childrens’Museum.

Just as further proof that a good teacher can help mold a goodstudent, when asked about their favorite teachers, the three have alaundry list that includes teachers not only from the BrookhavenSchool District, but also from as far away as Washington D.C. Thegroup can also look back to things in their academic career thatshaped them and made them the students they are.

Cupit points to being a page in Washington where she got todraft a mock energy bill and present it to four congressmen. Riceremembers a voice class with an enthusiastic teacher who helped herreach for her potential.

And Braden remembers the quiz bowl where he was referred to as”Blasé Braden.”

“Which I’m really not!” he said with a laugh.