Argyle HS students semifinalists in scholarship competition

One former and two current Argyle High School students are steps closer away from being considered National Merit Scholars.

Ross Coker , Molly Livingston and Samantha Rider are among 1,600 students from across the nation who has been chosen as semifinalists in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Coker graduated from high school a year early. He is attending Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and double majoring in astrophysics and mathematics.

Coker says now that he is in college; he is very appreciative of his experiences in high school.

“The wide variety of opportunities and the passionate teachers I worked with allowed me to set my sights high and without them I would not have made it to CMU,” Coker said. “UIL team also gave me a head start in my college courses.”

Molly Livingston and Samantha Rider will be graduating in May 2015. Livingston is looking to attend Carnegie Mellon University or the University of Michigan to study musical theatre. Rider has her eyes set on Stanford, MIT or Harvard to study genetics.

Livingston believes that her passion for reading and her participation in choir club and the theatre department has given her an edge in the competition.

“Day in and day out, I’ve always been a recreational reader,” Livingston said. “And I’ve always sought out opportunities to perform wherever that may be. I’ve always known I wanted to do theatre.”

Rider says she has also been reading all her life but believes Argyle High School’s math training has helped prepare her the most for college.

“The math programs here (Argyle High School) are amazing,” Rider said. “I’ve taken every class and now I am in Statistics. Taking Calculus has helped me most with processing mathematical formulas.”

All three students say their families are proud of them and would be thrilled if they have the opportunity to move forward in the competition.

The National Merit Scholarship Program will announce the finalists in February 2015.

To learn more about Argyle HS, visit http://www.argyleisd.com.

Brianna Vela is a public relations intern with the Argyle Independent School District.