On Monday, Sept. 30th, two local Saint James School students, Carl Thomas and Nicole “Nikki” Jenkinson, were named “Commended Students” in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. Carl is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce H. Thomas. Nikki is the daughter of Mr. James H. Jenkinson and Dr. Wanda T. Raczkowski.

About 34,000 Commended students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although the Saint James students will not continue in the 2014 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2014 competition by taking the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

“The young men and women being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” said a spokesperson for National Merit Scholarship Corporation. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in the academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broader their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”