Senior Andrew Manteau is one out of 63 student in West Virginia to earn the title of national merit semifinalist.
Manteau said, “I was very excited.”
He found out he received this award by reading the article written by Weirton Daily Time. Manteau prepared to take the PSAT by using Khan Academy because they tailor the question to what you are struggling with. Manteau scored 1390 on the PSAT. That score put him in the top 1% of students in W.Va. who have taken the PSAT this past year.
Beyond the scores, Manteau is involved in extracurricular activities. He has been a member of Academic Games since his eighth-grade year. He has attended two national tournaments with the team and now serves as the vice president. He said he likes being a part of academic games because he is able to spend time with his best friends.
Betty Smith-Montgomery, Academic Games director, said, “Andrew is a very strong player and has qualified in most of the games.”
Manteau joined FBLA his sophomore year. He was elected as the FBLA president at the being of this year. He has earned First place in UX Design and Website Design at the West Virginia National Leadership Conference. He has also earned sixth place in the national Leadership Conference.
Candice Dotson, FBLA club sponsor, said, “Andrew is a visionary. He uses his creative skills to enhance all FBLA marketing at Weir High school.” She added, “Andrew is the voice of FBLA.”
Manteau has been inducted into both NHS and NTHS and now serves as the vice president of NTHS. He also helps tutor in math for NHS.
As a sophomore, Manteau was Weir High School Poetry Out Loud champion, and he competed at WV State Finals. He also enjoys sewing to relax, which led him to join Weir’s sewing club.
Family and consumer science teacher and sewing club sponsor Emily Hores said, “Andrew is a stellar student. He is wonderful in grades, he participates in class, he participates in conversations and has a wonderful sense of humor.”
Business computer teachers Kristen Palavis said, “Andrew lead in the classroom by excelling and helping other students.”
After talking to many of Andrew teachers and club advisers, they all have the same opinion on Andrew: that he is an amazing student and a strong leader and has a great personality.
National Merit is a scholarship program in the United States. Around 1.6 million juniors across the country takes the PSAT. Students who score in the top 1% are considered National Merit Semifinalists. Many of these students move on to become National Merit Finalists, which can win some students scholarships money for college. Approximately 7,140 National Merit scholarships are awarded each year.
