East Leyden senior named a commended student in National Merit Scholarship Program

East Leyden senior Gerardo Porras is a Commended Student in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program.

The Franklin Park resident recently received a letter of commendation from program sponsor the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) congratulating him on his academic achievements.

This year about 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in 2019 competition, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 scores of the more than 1.6 million students who entered the 2019 competition by taking the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

"The young men and women named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success," commented a spokesperson for NMSC. "These students represent a valuable natural 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. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success."