Congratulations Abigail Flanders, National Merit Scholarship Program WINNER & Semi-Finalist for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program

Congratulations Abigail Flanders, National Merit Scholarship Program WINNER & Semi-Finalist for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program

After achieving status as semi-finalist and then finalist, Abigail has been selected to win the esteemed National Merit Scholarship, placing her among less than 0.46% of students in the Nation to achieve this distinction.

In addition to being honored for this achievement, Abigail will receive a $2,500 scholarship. Winners are named in every state based upon the state's percentage of the Nation's graduating high school seniors. This means that the National Merit Scholarship is more competitive in Virginia than in many other states.

Abigail also earned semi-finalist status in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Abigail was among 18 of 129 Virginia candidates to progress to the final stages of this competition, or approximately 700 out of 5,100 students nationally.

Abigail, like her siblings, has been a Dominion student since kindergarten. She scored a 36 (a perfect score) on the high school ACT and a 1590 (one question shy of a perfect score) on the high school SAT.

In the fall, Abigail's classmate, Christy Isler, also earned a qualifying score for a commendation from the National Merit Scholars program. Together, Christy and Abigail join more than 20% of Dominion seniors who have achieved National Merit commendation status or higher in this competition, also marking an unusually high proportion for a single school to achieve.

Abigail will join the University Scholars Program at Baylor University. She has earned a four-year free-ride that covers tuition, room, board, fees, a semester abroad as well as significant funds that may be used towards miscellaneous expenses or graduate school. She plans to pursue both Baylor's Great Texts honors program and pre-med in her undergraduate studies. Christy was admitted to the nursing program at the University of Virginia, where she will attend.

All of these achievements are profound, but it is perhaps most significant that Abigail and Christy have pursued these achievements in a spirit of humility and grace.  Their contributions to Dominion extend far beyond the academic realm; they are also cultural and spiritual leaders, and they know what is most important in life.  Congratulations on earning a high privilege, ladies.  More importantly, we celebrate that you have become young women of character who will surely help shape society with your ideas, humility, kindness, grace, and faithfulness.