TAHOE CITY, Calif. and#8212; North Tahoe High School (NTHS) principal Joanna Mitchell recently announced two of her students were named as Commended Students in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Seniors Ryan Faye and Phoebe House were presented with a letter of commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program. The NMSC is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and#8212; a test which serves as an initial screen of more than 1.5 million entrants each year and#8212; and by meeting published program entry/participation requirements.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2012 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2012 competition.

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and#8220;The young men and women being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,and#8221; said a NMSC spokesperson. and#8220;These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation.and#8221;

In April following the fall test administration, high-scoring participants from every state will be invited to name two colleges or universities to which they would like to be referred by NMSC. In addition, some of the Commended Students do become candidates for special scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.

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and#8220;Weand#8217;re very proud of these scholastically talented seniors,and#8221; said Mitchell. and#8220;We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.and#8221;

and#8212; Provided by Switchback PR + Marketing on behalf of the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District