South Side High School students recognized for national achievement

South Side High School senior Sophia Bracco was named a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Less than one percent of high school students nationwide are named national merit award semifinalists and named part of the 16,000 highest-scoring students in the country on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test.

Bracco along with fellow seniors, Michael DeSena, Katherine Graci and Elaina Heghes, were also named National Merit commended scholars for their exceptional performance on the PSAT exam last year, joining the less than five percent of students in the nation who placed among the top 34,000 students in the country on the test.

“We’re thrilled to recognize these exceptional seniors at South Side High School,” SSHS Principal Patrick Walsh, said. “Their performance on the PSATs demonstrates their intelligence, commitment to excellence and their hard work. We are extremely proud of them.”

Katherine Graci said that being named a commended student was really nice, and that her education at South Side High School helped most with the math questions on the standardized tests.

“In general, I appreciate the IB program at South Side the most because of the problem-solving and analytical skills it teaches, which have helped me in other activities,” Graci replied via email.

Six more students — Sean Clairine, Matthew Mata, Elena Mignorance, Noelle Prince, Alyson Paulino and Kal Vasconez — from South Side High School also earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs.

“South Side has created an environment where I feel supported in my academic studies,” Clairine said. “The collaborative atmosphere among the teachers and students allowed me to prosper and pursue achievement within my work as a student these past few years. I’d like to thank my teachers and counselor for being so accommodating without creating immense pressure, allowing me to work at my best abilities.”

These programs celebrate students’ hard work in high school and showcase their strong academic performance. The academic honors are presented to students of Black, Indigenous and Hispanic decent who place within the top 10 percent of assessment takers in each state and provide them with an opportunity to share their strong academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs.

“It feels great to be rewarded for all the work you have put in, especially when experiencing a rigorous course load like pursuing the IB Diploma,” Clairine said. “Receiving acknowledgment through the National Recognition Award makes me realize that this work is not for nothing, allowing me to continue with working with my full potential!”