By Jessica Wilt, The Journal
HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — Speaking with a soft, yet intelligent way about her, there’s no question why Harpers Ferry resident Anna Riordan recently earned a National Merit Scholarship.
Riordan is one of 2,500 from around the country to have earned $2,500 for college through the program. However, the announcement came as a bit of a surprise to the Stanford Online High School student, having submitted the application in fall of 2020.
“I submitted the application all the way back in the beginning of October, so it wasn’t at the top of my mind,” she said. “I sort of forgot about it a little bit, but then getting the email was really exciting.”
The application process included taking a look at the academic record, including the difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist and a recommendation written by a high school official. A committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors judged each finalist on the strength of each category as a whole…
