2017 National Merit Scholar Finalists Fifty-three Jesuit Dallas students were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for demonstrating exceptional academic ability and the potential for rigorous college studies. Members of the Jesuit faculty offered their thoughts on each of the Finalists, who represented the top PSAT scores in the state and the top 1% of all high school seniors across the United States.
EMMANUEL RUIZ Brilliant, focused, and accomplished, Manny is an incredible young man. His devotion to his family, friends, community, and social justice ooze from every pore of his being. His personability and unwavering honesty is what I admire most about him and why I have no doubt he will thrive in a rigorous academic environment and fast-paced community like NYU. Matt Shoemaker, College Counselor
WILLIAM HENRION
JACK SCHWAB
William is always up for a challenge, and possesses many important qualities such as perseverance, adaptability, team work, and strong analytical and critical thinking skills. I have no doubts that he will find success in the future. I am very pleased to have had William as one of my students, and so proud of his accomplishments.
Jack has been a very special student to me over the years. Full of personality, passionate about his interests, engaging in conversation, and driven for success are just a few phrases that come to mind to describe him. I’ve had the joy of watching Jack’s zeal, intellect, and emotional maturity grow over the past three years and I’ve seen him grow into a giving, humorous, and very intelligent young man.
Dominic Golab, AP Physics C
Vanessa Jones, Honors Latin IV/JCL
MILES OKAMOTO
JAMES VROOM
Miles is hardworking and a great example of a Jesuit graduate. I was talking to a freshman earlier in the year who Miles had developed a relationship with and the freshman said that one of the most important things to him feeling welcome at Jesuit was developing that relationship. Miles is someone who he looked up to and aspired to be “when he grows up”. He is easy to relate to and has developed into a great leader.
Overall, James is driven, conscientious, and thoughtful. He confronts challenging tasks with a natural ease, expressing a desire to understand underlying issues and perspectives before tackling problems. He would always bring a mature, considered energy to our class, and his participation made my classes better. Chris Patterson ’08, English III
Tim Murphy ’06, Freshman Counselor
R O B E R T R O TA
Z A C H A R Y W AT T S
Robert, whom I would describe as intelligent, jovial, kind-hearted, and introspective, is one of the most focused students I’ve ever been around. He escaped much of the frustration that his peers experienced, which was often due to a lack of time management, foresight, and motivation. I am confident that he will approach his personal and professional goals with the same tenacity and dignity I came to know.
Zach’s love for knowledge is apparent in how prepared and motivated he is to tackle new concepts. Although Zach was one of my top students, what first comes to mind is his willingness to help others and make them feel at ease. He is thoughtful about how situations might affect others and is always very concerned for his peers.
Mary Beth Farrell, AP Lit & Comp/English II
34 | Celebrating
YEARS
Enid Sanchez, AP Chemistry