Two are from Loveland, one from Liberty Twp.

By Tammy Rosenfeldt 

SYMMES TWP. (March 3, 2022) – Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy is pleased to announce that all three of their National Merit semifinalists have advanced to National Merit Finalist standing. Seniors Will Rueter (of Liberty Township), Ava Schwan (of Loveland), and Luke Sikkema (of Loveland) all received notification that they are advancing to the final round of the competition.

Luke Sikkema, Ava Schwan, and Will Rueter are CHCA serniors and National Merit Finalists (Photo by Tammy Rosenfeldt)

“I am thrilled to announce these students as National Merit Finalists,” said CHCA Upper School Principal Heather Wilkowski. “Their commitment to excellence in all that they do, exemplifies the very essence of CHCA. I look forward to the incredible things they will accomplish now and in the future.”

According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), all winners of Merit Scholarship® awards (Merit Scholar® designees) are chosen from the Finalist group, based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments–without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. A variety of information is available for NMSC selectors to evaluate: the Finalist’s academic record, information about the school’s curricula and grading system, two sets of test scores, the high school official’s written recommendation, information about the student’s activities and leadership, and the Finalist’s own essay.

The process now begins for selecting 7,500 Merit Scholarship winners from the group of more than 15,000 finalists. In March, NMSC will begin mailing scholarship offers to winners at their home addresses and confidential notices to their high school principals. Students will receive a letter at their home informing them that they have become Finalists, and they will be recognized at CHCA’s Diaspeiro Baccalaureate Service the evening of May 27th, just prior to graduation.

Congratulations to these students on their amazing accomplishment!

To learn more about Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, visit: chca-oh.org.