Lakewood Ranch High senior earns academic award

Normally, Lakewood Ranch High School senior Amy Jones doesn’t have to spend much time studying for her tests.

But when it came to the PSAT, Jones knew she had to dedicate time to score well.

“Studying for the PSAT took a lot of work since I was motivated to get the National Merit Scholarship from the get-go,” Jones said. “I’ve been taking higher level classes for a while, and I’ve learned a lot through that. I’ve had pretty awesome teachers who helped me learn and develop mental agility throughout high school and middle school.”

The dozens of hours she spent studying paid off because Jones was named a 2021 National Merit Scholarship semifinalist last week.

“It’s pretty amazing,” she said. “It’s something that’s hard to get, and it wasn’t a complete surprise, but I’m happy that I got it.”

Jones is one of three students from School District of Manatee County traditional and charter schools to be named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. Hayden Ross, a senior at Southeast High School, and Prudny Bonnaire-Fils, of State College of Florida Collegiate School, were also named semifinalists.

Semifinalists have the opportunity to receive one of about 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million that will be offered in the spring.

When Jones took the PSAT in 2019, she became part of the 1.5 million juniors from about 21,000 high schools to be entered in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. Semifinalists are part of the 99th percentile in their state.

Winners will be announced starting in April.

“I can’t wait to explore more of the opportunities for colleges that are now opened up to me because of the recognition,” Jones said.

Jones wants to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach to study mechanical engineering.

“For a long time, I liked solving problems and working with technology,” Jones said. “Mechanical engineering is a diversified field that would allow me to enjoy [my job]. I enjoy messing with science and mathematics and the relationship between the two and designing stuff to solve problems in general. The idea of applying to solve real-world problems appeals to me.”

Besides focusing on her academics, Jones spends time as a member of Lakewood Ranch High School’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. She’s a company commander this year and competes on the Raiders and Orienteering special teams.