Two Killeen Independent School District (KISD) seniors from Harker Heights High School, Wonhyo Jonathan Lee and Rebecca Mack, have been recognized as 2023 National Merit Scholar Finalists. These outstanding students achieved this prestigious academic honor by scoring in the top 1 percent nationwide on the PSAT/NMSQT test.
Lee, the son of a military service member, has lived in several states, including Korea, California, Virginia, Illinois, and Texas. He has received academic awards throughout his high school years and is involved in several extracurricular activities such as Boy Scouts of America, American Mathematics Competition, Debate Club, Robotics Club, and the Knights soccer team. He also volunteers at the Killeen Korean School as a teacher’s aide and is a cellist and pianist at his church. Lee’s exceptional accomplishments, abilities, and skills make him a deserving finalist.
Mack, on the other hand, is an accomplished singer and has earned a spot on the TMEA All-State Treble Choir. She is also the choir president, National Honor Society vice president, a NASA Aerospace Scholar, and an officer in Junior Historians and freshman and sophomore class senator. She has participated in several other activities such as the Knights of the Round Table, Harker Heights City Teen Court, and the Harker Heights Chamber of Commerce Vision XXI Class of 2022. Mack’s exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies make her a deserving finalist.
The National Merit® Scholarship Program, established in 1955, recognizes and awards scholarships to high school students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. About 1.5 million high school students participate in the program each year, and the two KISD scholars represent less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors who achieve this academic honor. The National Merit Finalists are selected based on their exceptional accomplishments, abilities, and skills. KISD takes pride in the achievements of Lee and Mack and congratulates them on their well-deserved recognition as National Merit Scholar Finalists.
Central Texas Reporter 