Norristown Area High School Student Deemed a Merit Semifinalist

A Norristown Area High School (NAHS) student chosen by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation to be a Merit Semifinalist was honored at the Norristown Area School District’s Monday night board meeting at the district office.  

NAHS senior Miranda Cravetz was recognized by the school board and her high school science teacher, Max Geistler, who prepared a speech to introduce Cravetz as a student, a person and a future achiever.

According to information provided by the board, 1.5 million highs school students enter the National Merit Program yearly by taking the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) qualifying test. There are about 16,000 semifinalists chosen annually.

Geistler taught Cravetz in his weighted honors biology class.

“Ms. Cravetz embodies our classic notion of ‘the best and the brightest.’ She has achieved much, but aspires to much more, sees her own fulfillment in the elevation of others, smiles easily but considers deeply, accepts responsibility without complaint and seeks challenges rather than avoiding them,” said Geistler.

Cravetz, who came to the meeting with her family, addressed the room, herself.

“I build everything,” she said. “I do so much. For ‘The Wiz,’ I built Kansas. I call it my baby,” she said, describing a former musical presented at the high school.

“I really, really want to go to MIT; it’s my top choice. If I don’t go there I want to go to another engineering school, said Cravetz.”

The senior plans to study aerospace engineering with a dual major in college.