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Plainview senior named Merit semifinalist

By Lindsay Slater
The Times-Journal

Published October 29, 2009

One Plainview senior is vying for the chance to win a national scholarship.

Joanna Burke, daughter of Joe and Pam Burke, is a semifinalist in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Burke is in a pool of about 16,000 students who have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $36 million to be offered next spring.

Plainview Counselor Nancy Traylor said Burke is a great candidate for a NMS.

“In Alabama, 15,300 students took the PSAT to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship,” Traylor said. “Of those, Joanna was one of 47 that scored 222 or higher.”

Burke will have to take more tests to move on as a finalist in the competition.

Burke’s math teacher, Scott McFall, said if anyone deserves the award, it’s her.

“What’s there not to say about her,” McFall said. “She is a model student. She is a very intelligent student. She has every characteristic a teacher would want in a student. She’s respectful, has a good personality, is witty and responsible and disciplined.”

Burke is active in many school activities, including Beta Club, is a cheerleader for the first time as a senior, has been a member of the marching band and works a part-time job at a Rainsville pharmacy.

“She absolutely deserves a National Merit Scholarship,” McFall said.

And, several colleges in the state have already recognized her.

According to Traylor, the University of Alabama, Auburn University and Samford offered Burke packages.

UA has an offer on the table worth about $60,000, which includes four years full tuition, $1,000 national merit per year for four years, a laptop, housing and a one-time payment of $2,000 for summer research.

Auburn University is offering full tuition for four years, a $1,500 technology allowance, $4,000 enrichment allowance and a housing allowance for each year for a total package of $54,988.

Burke has also been contacted by Samford University and received a letter from Texas Tech offering a travel voucher for her to come visit the school.

Traylor said Burke comes in at No. 9 on a long list of past National Merit semifinalists at Plainview.

About 15,000 semifinalists are expected to advance to the finals where the 2010 winners will be chosen to receive one of 2,500 scholarships.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

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