E.M. students are National Merit finalists

Two seniors from the East Meadow School District have been recognized as finalists in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program. They are John Meah, of East Meadow High School, and Jonathan Melkun, of W.T. Clarke High School.

To be counted among the nation’s 15,000 finalists, both students had to submit a detailed scholarship application that included their academic records and examples of extracurricular activities, community engagement, leadership ability, employment and past distinctions. They also had to achieve SAT scores equivalent to or better than their PSAT scores, maintain their prestigious academic performance and receive a recommendation from a high school official.

Meah is involved in numerous clubs, teams and other organizations at East Meadow High School. He is a National Honor Society student and has also been inducted into the Social Studies, Science, English, Business and Tri-M Music honor societies. A captain and four-year member of the cross-country team and winter and spring track and field teams, he is also president of the Track Finance Board.

He is also a talented musician and performs in the wind ensemble, chamber orchestra, jazz ensemble and marching band. Additionally, he is the vice president of DECA and captain of the math team. Outside of school, he gives back to the community by volunteering. He tutors, contributes his time at the Special Olympics and serves as a counselor at vacation bible school.

Melkun shares similar passions, as he is a captain of the track and field team at W.T. Clarke High School. This connection has allowed him the opportunity to volunteer at the Long Island Marathon by handing out water to the runners. He is also the president of the English Honor Society and the secretary of the Math Honor Society.

Playing the clarinet since the fourth grade, Melkun has taken the first chair in the band and orchestra. His musical talent has spurred his involvement in the school’s theater shows, for which he is a member of the pit. With high school coming to an end, he intends on taking his passion for aircraft and spacecraft toward studying aerospace engineering.

—Brian Stieglitz