Published September 24, 2015 at 2:44 p.m.

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Six Dobyns-Bennett High School students have been named as Commended Students in the 61st Annual 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program, a program designed to identify and honor the top high school students in the United States.

Those named as Commended Students from D-B are Owen Barbour, son of William and Sarah Barbour, Michael Taylor Bunch, son of Michael and Karen Bunch, Hannah Burgess, daughter of Charles and Sherry Burgess, Katherine P. Lawrence, daughter of Paul and Vanessa Wendy Lawrence, Gibson T. Mills, son of Cort and Lori Mills, and Kaylea Brooke Mohr, daughter of Doug and Becky Mohr.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2016 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2016 completion by taking the 2014 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screening of program entrants. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

“We are very proud of these six young men and women being named Commended Students,” said Dobyns-Bennett Principal Dr. Chris Hampton. “They have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success and we recognize their accomplishments, as well as the key role their teachers and families play in their academic development and success.”

Approximately 16,000 U.S. students qualified as semifinalists.  The National Merit Scholarship Corporation provides scholarship application materials to semifinalists through their high schools. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® Award, semifinalists must advance to the Finalists level of the competition by fulfilling several requirements. About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and more than half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

For more information on the National Merit Scholarship Program, please contact the Dobyns-Bennett High School Counseling Office at (423) 378.8409 or visit www.nationalmerit.org.

Kingsport City Schools (KCS) is a public school district located in Kingsport, Tenn., serving students in Sullivan and Hawkins county. The district is comprised of 13 schools, including a Pre-K, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school and a non-traditional school; with total enrollment over 7,100 students. The vision of Kingsport City Schools is to be, Student Focused … World Class.

KCS has been named the top school district in Tennessee as winner of the 2014 SCORE Prize District Award by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) and has earned the 2014 Achievement Award in the annual Excellence in Tennessee Recognition Program by the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNPCE).

For more information on KCS, visit k12k.com, listen live on WCSK 90.3 FM, The Voice of KCS, read our blog, We Are KCS, or call (423) 378.2100. We’re social too; follow us on Facebook (Kingsport City Schools), Twitter (@KCS_District) and check out our YouTube Channel (KPTSchools).

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