Today there are two reasons for Airline High School senior Abhishek Shah to celebrate.
One, it is his 18th birthday and two, he received notification he has been chosen as a National Merit Scholar Finalist.
“Abhi Shah has once again proven to be one of the most elite students to have ever walked the halls of Airline
High School,” said Airline Principal Jason Rowland. “He has been named a National Merit Finalist and will now be competing for the National Merit Scholarship. He continues to represent AHS and Bossier Parish with class and dignity in his effort to achieve at the highest level.”
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a competition for academic recognition and college scholarships. Winning the scholarship is prestigious, but even being selected as Finalist counts highly with college admissions staff.
For Shah, this honor will most certainly be looked upon favorably when he submits his college application to Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. His plans are to major in aerospace engineering.
Shah is a 4.0 student who scored a 35 on his ACT. He is also President of Airline’s National Honor Society, Captain of the Drum Line and a member of the school History Bowl team. He is also the Bossier Parish High School Student of the Year.
The son of parents who immigrated from India to the United States, Shah offered his thoughts on why being named a National Merit Scholar Finalist holds special significance to him.
“Hard work pays off,” Shah said, adding it symbolizes “different cultures and living in two worlds. You have Abhishek Shah at home and Abhi at school.”
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal issued an Official Statement, recognizing Abhishek Shah for his accomplishments. Principal Rowland presented it to him this morning in conjunction with the National Merit Scholar Finalist announcement.
