Lucy Clement, Anne “Kit” McCormack, and David “Burkette” Moulder III have been recognized as Semifinalists in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program. A challenging academic curriculum and numerous opportunities to engage in extracurricular activities related to their interests have empowered these talented students. The support and engagement fostered by their families, and JA’s faculty and staff, propelled them to achieve beyond their own expectations.
Clement, McCormack, and Moulder were among more than 1.6 million juniors across the nation who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test during the fall of 2017. After that initial screening, these students partnered with Jackson Academy and completed detailed scholarship applications with information about their academics, activities in the school and community involvement, leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. Each year, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation recognizes approximately 16,000 semifinalists. These students now qualify to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million to be offered next spring.
Lucy Clement
What activities are you involved in?
I am a dance captain for Encore (our high school show choir), I tutor JA students, compete in academic competitions, and participate as a member of set crew in school theatre productions. I also serve as co-president of the Latin club and as a member of JA’s new Honor Council. I’ve been able to be involved in is the Duke TIP Summer Studies program. For three summers I was able to go to Duke University for 3 weeks and not only take a class that was incredibly fun and engaging, but also meet so many awesome people that I’m still friends with today.
How has JA helped prepare you for academic success?
JA is big enough that you have the opportunity to take the most challenging and rigorous classes but small enough that classes are never too crowded and your teachers are able to get to know you. This balance helps make all of our classes much more interactive & personal and has allowed me to develop my interests and talents.
What classes are you taking this year?
AP Calculus, Latin IV, Honors Psychology, AP Literature, AP Government/Economics, and Encore.
Which has been your favorite class and why?
I really enjoyed AP Government with Mrs. Ball and AP Literature with Mr. Dickson. In both classes we get to cover really cool material that’s easy to get interested in and excited about, and Mrs. Ball and Mr. Dickson both go out of their way to get our ideas, opinions, and thoughts on whatever topic we’re covering.
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at JA?
Some stand-out memories are Encore’s trip to Waffle House last year after winning Grand Champion at the Jackson Prep show choir competition, going to Dramafest at MSU with the one-act play, our field trip to the WWII museum where Mrs. Ball single-handedly forced open the elevator doors for our group, and watching the fireworks on the last night of Encore’s trip to Disney World.
Anne “Kit” McCormack
What activities are you involved in?
I am a member of the varsity cheerleading team and the outdoor club. I give tumbling lessons to little girls which is really fun, and I also lead a D-Group at Christ United Methodist Church on Wednesdays – that’s my favorite thing.
How has JA helped prepare you for academic success?
I’ve been at JA my whole life, so I really owe all of my academic success to JA, and my parents of course. It has taught me how to be a functioning, responsible student. I feel like I know how to manage my time and responsibilities on my own and get stuff done when I need to because of this school.
What classes are you taking this year?
AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, Government, World Literature, Psychology/Sociology, and Current Events
Which has been your favorite class and why?
I have had so many amazing teachers over the last few years that I really don’t think I can pick a favorite class. To me, the amount I enjoy the class comes from whether or not the teacher connects with the students. Even if the class is hard, which most of mine are, if I feel like the teacher cares about me personally, I usually enjoy the class. This has been the case in basically every class in my high school career.
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at JA?
Mr. Dickson’s literature class was definitely one of the most memorable classes I have taken, overall. I have been here for fifteen years now, so it’s hard to pick just one memory. I’m pretty sure I’ve spent nearly as many hours here as I have at my own house, so I’m very comfortable here and with all the people.
David “Burkette” Moulder III
What activities are you involved with at JA?
I am in Encore, run cross country, participate in ultimate frisbee, and compete in Quizbowl.
How has JA helped prepare you for academic success?
The teachers at JA have challenged me and helped me to become a better thinker, but they have also shown over and over that they care about me and what is best for me.
What classes are you taking this year?
Introduction to Engineering, Theatre Tech, AP Calculus, AP Literature, AP Government, Encore, and AP Physics C
Which has been your favorite class and why?
AP Physics and AP Language/AP Literature are tied for my favorite class. As different as these two subjects may seem, the reason I like them so much is the same: they have challenged me to think for myself and developed me into a more complex and developed thinker.
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at JA?
I can’t say that I really have a favorite memory at JA. Every day at JA that I get to spend with my teachers and friends is so unique and rewarding that it makes it impossible to really nail down a few memories as my “favorite.”
