South High Senior Vyas Pai Named National Merit Finalist

Senior Vyas Pai recently joined the ranks of a small percentage of students across the nation by being named a National Merit Finalist The award is offered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation each year and issues scholarships to roughly 10,000 students based on their PSAT scores and other accomplishments. Here’s what he had to say about the process and honor.

What does it mean to you that you received this award?

I am truly honored to receive this award. I am very grateful for the fact that it puts me a step closer to realizing my collegiate dreams and professional aspirations. I am also very thankful for the South High teachers and administrators who have helped support me throughout my years in high school and encouraged me

What has the application process been like?

The process began when I took the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall of 2021. Because I scored in the top 1% nationally, I was informed that I was a semifinalist in September 2022 I was then required to send an application with my SAT score, my grades, a list of my activities, and an essay.

For the essay, I had to write about a person who has influenced me in some significant way. Having been part of FIRST Robotics for seven years, I wrote about Dean Kamen, a prolific inventor and the founder of FIRST I attribute my growth as a student of engineering to the collaborative environment within FIRST I have found that the only thing that supersedes innovation itself is its lasting impact on society. Inspiring a generation of students to pursue STEM is an admirable accomplishment by Mr. Kamen, who I revere as an aspiring engineer.

What are your plans after graduation?

I intend to major in Computer Engineering, specializing in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), for both my undergraduate and graduate studies. I understand AI combined with robotics has revolutionary applications in various industries and holds the promise of improving the quality of human life. I believe that my collegiate endeavors will help prepare me for the vast future and untapped prospects in these two fields

About half of the finalists will be chosen as Merit Scholarship winners. We’re cheering for you, Vyas, and congratulations!

Willowick Middle Students Start Small Business

Willowick Middle School students are not only learning about entrepreneurship, but they are involved in all aspects of running a small business at the Lancer Cafe with the help of their teacher Christine Carnett From designing the sign to creating a utility cart, they are doing it all The students collaborated with Gail Myers from the Fab Lab to print the neon sign, and the cart is being built by students at Lakeland Community College and Euclid High School under the direction of Tom Roseum. It's incredible to see how much our students have accomplished, and we can't wait to see what they will achieve next!