[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 26907]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



              TRIBUTE TO THE 1999 NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 26, 1999

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to honor a 
group of committed and accomplished students who were recently honored 
for their achievements in the 1999 National Merit Scholarship 
Competition. These students embody everything that is good with our 
youth today and are exceedingly worthy of our highest regards and 
praise.
  From a field of over 1 million students that entered the Merit 
Program last year, Meg Patton, Matthew Thomas, Megan McGill, and Jeff 
Ward finished in the top 1% of entrants. For their remarkable 
scholastic achievement, each were recently recognized as National Merit 
Program semi-finalists. These incredibly talented students are now 
competing for one of 7,400 National Merit Scholarships awarded to the 
finest students in the country. Whether or not these students 
ultimately win the Merit Scholarship, each are among the finest in the 
nation and should take great pride in receiving this weighty accolade.
  In addition, Juli Carillo, Erin Lindsey, Anthony Arcieri, Ksenya 
Gurshtein, Naomi Habbegger, Rachel Wilkenson, and Jerimiah Goodson were 
awarded letters of commendation for finishing in the top 5% of students 
who entered the competition. Like the semi-finalists, these students 
are to be commended for the lofty level of academic success they have 
achieved.
  It is with this, Mr. Speaker, that I say congratulations to these 
outstanding students on receiving an honor that they clearly deserve. 
Because of committed and talented young men and women like these, I 
know that America's future will be as bright as its remarkable past.

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