As Dana Abbring entered the high school office after second hour on Tuesday morning, she was bewildered at the sight of her parents in the office.
"I knew something was up because I was told to leave class and come to the office at the end of the hour originally, but then received a call five minutes later asking for me to come down now." Abbring said during conversation with Mr. Bucher.
After seeing her parents, the balloons in the room, and the faces of several smiling staff members, Dana knew that something special was about to happen. Mr. Bucher walked up to her with a big smile on his face and opened a green folder while handing her three balloons. In the envelope was a letter that he then read aloud that announced Dana Abbring as a National Merit Scholarship Semi-finalist.
This award was given to the top 1% of students who took the PSAT last year. Her nearly perfect score put her in this prestigious group and has her in the running for some serious scholarship money. Dana is one of only 7 in Porter County to receive the title of semi-finalist. She can become a finalist if her scores are high enough to place her in the top 15,000 students in the nation.
After the award was handed out Tuesday morning, hugs were shared and smiles were seen all around. For Dana, this is another accolade to add to a list of extremely impressive feats that are awarded for both effort in the classroom and on the cross country course.
(Photo credit: Cathy Weaver)