Two students from Vashon recently earned the distinction of being named National Merit Scholarship finalists, an honor awarded to academically talented students.
Sage Levin, a senior at Vashon High School, and Graham Peet, a senior at The Northwest School, were among 16,000 students from across the country named semi-finalists last fall after they scored in the top 1 percent on the PSAT exam. They proceeded to the finalist rank after submitting scholarship applications that included information on their participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities and honors they have received.
Levin, the son of Lesley Reed and Denny Levin, will attend the University of Washington in the fall and pursue a career in the STEM fields.
VHS counselor Laurie Martin praised Levin.
“I think he is remarkable,” she said. “I feel he has definitely achieved a lot in his scholastic endeavors. … He will find a huge amount of success in college.”
Levin’s interests outside of school include sailing, and he said he has volunteered hundreds of hours on the schooner Adventuress, a 133-foot long historic sailing vessel that takes passengers and teaches green living.
Graham Peet plans to attend Haverford College in Philadelphia this fall and study economics.
The son of Andrew Peet and Sam Lanier, he received a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship.
The agency awarded just 2,500 of these scholarships to the pool of more 15,000 students who applied. The panel of judges selected those who have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies, according to a press release. Additionally, the number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.
Outside of school, Peet says he spends his time running and playing the violin.
His advisor at The Northwest School, Cecilia Tung, called him one of the brightest, hardest working students she has worked with.
“He is insightful and meticulous,” she said. “He does his work seemingly effortlessly, but with a sense of humor.”
