As with all Charles County high school seniors, Evangeline Gilmer is navigating the start to her senior year virtually. The St. Charles High School Class of 2021 student leader is finishing her high school career with a heavy course load. She is taking seven Advanced Placement (AP) courses and her final Project Lead the Way course in Biomedical Innovations. The honor-roll student was ranked second in her graduating class at the end of last school year and hopes to attend a four-year college to pursue a career in the medical field. An honor that will help Gilmer during her studies is her recent recognition through the National Merit Scholarship Program.
The National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes the highest achieving high school seniors. Students are selected for recognition based on academic achievement, PSAT and SAT performance, leadership experience and community involvement. Gilmer is a high achiever; she has completed six AP exams and achieved scores of 4 and 5. She plans to take additional AP exams this year, but is waiting to see if she can receive college credit for her scores.
If Gilmer is named a finalist in the program, she would receive a $2,500 scholarship. Finalists are selected from among the highest achieving students in their respective state. Gilmer’s current GPA is 4.52. She hopes that her recognition through the program will encourage her peers to aim for similar achievements.
“I am extremely honored to be recognized as a semifinalist. I am grateful to my teachers and three principals I have had throughout my years of school for always encouraging me to work hard and aim high. I hope that me receiving this honor will encourage future students to take the PSAT and aim for the National Merit Scholarship,” Gilmer said.
Gilmer is one of 16,000 semifinalists selected from about 1.5 million students who took the PSAT in 2019. Gilmer is the only CCPS student chosen for the recognition this school year.
In addition to her academic achievements, Gilmer shines in the community. She volunteers at the Charles County Public Library and spent two years in the University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center (UMCRC) Summer Volunteen program.
Gilmer plans to pursue a career in the medical field and sought to continue volunteering at UMCRC until the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the program was canceled. “I wanted to volunteer at hospitals and research centers as well, but the age requirements are 16 or 17. COVID-19 hit during the summer I turned 16, so I never got the chance,” Gilmer said.
She is looking at four-year colleges that are connected with hospitals so she can volunteer during her free time. “After that, I hope to go to medical school. My current goal is to become a neurologist, but even if that changes, I still want to have a career in the medical field,” Gilmer said.
Outside of school, Gilmer is a concertmaster for the Charles County Youth Orchestra. She has played piano for 13 years and plays the flute. She won the Charles County Youth Orchestra 2020 Concerto Competition and was named to the Maryland Junior All State Band twice. Gilmer also participated in the National Philharmonic Summer String Institute.
Finalists will be selected in February and announced in April. Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered. Finalists compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. Additionally, 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance about 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,000 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event. CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).
The National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes the highest achieving high school seniors. Students are selected for recognition based on academic achievement, PSAT and SAT performance, leadership experience and community involvement. Gilmer is a high achiever; she has completed six AP exams and achieved scores of 4 and 5. She plans to take additional AP exams this year, but is waiting to see if she can receive college credit for her scores.
If Gilmer is named a finalist in the program, she would receive a $2,500 scholarship. Finalists are selected from among the highest achieving students in their respective state. Gilmer’s current GPA is 4.52. She hopes that her recognition through the program will encourage her peers to aim for similar achievements.
“I am extremely honored to be recognized as a semifinalist. I am grateful to my teachers and three principals I have had throughout my years of school for always encouraging me to work hard and aim high. I hope that me receiving this honor will encourage future students to take the PSAT and aim for the National Merit Scholarship,” Gilmer said.
Gilmer is one of 16,000 semifinalists selected from about 1.5 million students who took the PSAT in 2019. Gilmer is the only CCPS student chosen for the recognition this school year.
In addition to her academic achievements, Gilmer shines in the community. She volunteers at the Charles County Public Library and spent two years in the University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center (UMCRC) Summer Volunteen program.
Gilmer plans to pursue a career in the medical field and sought to continue volunteering at UMCRC until the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the program was canceled. “I wanted to volunteer at hospitals and research centers as well, but the age requirements are 16 or 17. COVID-19 hit during the summer I turned 16, so I never got the chance,” Gilmer said.
She is looking at four-year colleges that are connected with hospitals so she can volunteer during her free time. “After that, I hope to go to medical school. My current goal is to become a neurologist, but even if that changes, I still want to have a career in the medical field,” Gilmer said.
Outside of school, Gilmer is a concertmaster for the Charles County Youth Orchestra. She has played piano for 13 years and plays the flute. She won the Charles County Youth Orchestra 2020 Concerto Competition and was named to the Maryland Junior All State Band twice. Gilmer also participated in the National Philharmonic Summer String Institute.
Finalists will be selected in February and announced in April. Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered. Finalists compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. Additionally, 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance about 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,000 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Kathy Kiessling, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event. CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).