Five named Commended Students by NMSC
By Tannika King - Faculty
Sara Jessica Crawford, Lucas Jennings, Ben McBurnett, Will Thoms and Sam Watters have been named Commended Students in the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program. A letter of commendation from Darlington and the National Merit Scholarship Corp., which conducts the program, will be presented to these scholastically talented students during assembly.
“Recognition of high-achieving students is essential to advancing educational excellence in our nation,” said Michelle Robbins, director of educational service for the National Merit Scholarship Corp. “As demonstrated by their outstanding performance in our highly competitive program, the young men and women named Commended Students represent some of the most academically talented students in our country. We sincerely hope this recognition will enhance their educational opportunities and encourage them in their pursuit of academic success.”
Crawford has taken 16 AP and Honors classes and was recently named an AP Scholar with Honor by The College Board. She is the daughter of Gayle Crawford and Brent Crawford, both of Rome.
Jennings has taken 19 AP and Honors courses and was recently named an AP Scholar with Distinction by The College Board. He is a three-sport athlete in cross country, soccer and wrestling. In 2010, Jennings placed fourth in the Class A State Competition in the 130-pound weight class. He is the son of Linda and Russ Jennings of Rome.
McBurnett graduated early from Darlington in May 2010 and is currently attending Georgia Tech. In high school, he took 19 AP and Honors courses and was recently named an AP Scholar with Distinction by The College Board. He also earned a Georgia Certificate of Merit from the University of Georgia and received E.L. Wright Awards for the highest course average in AP U.S. History, AP Statistics and AP English Language. He is the son of Kim and David McBurnett of Rome.
Thoms has taken 20 AP and Honors classes and was recently named an AP Scholar with Distinction by The College Board. He is also a member of the National Honor Society and Sociedad Honoraria Nacional de El Coronel. He is the son of Drs. Lorie and Bill Thoms of Kingston, Ga.
Watters has taken 25 AP and Honors classes and was recently named an AP Scholar with Distinction by The College Board. He is also a member of the National Honor Society, Cum Laude Society, Sociedad Honoraria Nacional de El Coronel, Societe Honoraire de Francais and Mu Alpha Theta. Watters earned E.L. Wright Awards for the highest course average in French 1, Spanish 4, English 2, AP World History, AP Environmental Science, French 2 Honors and Graphic Design. He also received the Georgia Certificate of Merit from the University of Georgia, the D.A.R. Medal, the Yale Book Award, the Phi Beta Kappa Book Award and the Class Scholarship Award. He is the son of Tracy and Joe Watters of Rome.
About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2011 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the competition by taking the 2009 PSAT/NMSQT.
