Montoursville Area High School Student, Christian Smith, class of 2023, has been named a “Commended Student” by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as part of their 2023 scholarship program.

A “Letter of Commendation” from the school as well as NMSC will be presented to the student, according to the news release.

Approximately 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their “academic promise.”

Though they won’t be continuing in the 2023 competition for the National Merit Scholarship Awards, the students that are recognized as Commended Students are placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the competition by taking the PSAT or National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

“Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” spokesperson for NMSC said in the news release. “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. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”