Photo By: Shelby Clemons
FINALIST: Rosette Sims (12) advanced to the finalist level of the National Achievement Scholarship program and continues to perform great academic feats.
By Leti Bernard, Features Editor
Not many people get the opportunity to see their academic achievements go beyond their school, let alone their city. Rosette Sims has the privilege of experiencing both. Due to her excellent PSAT scores last year, Sims qualified as a National Achievement Scholarship semi-finalist, a branch-off program of the National Merit Scholarship program that honors African-American students. This year, she has advanced all the way to the finals and is in the running to win either a $2,500 National Achievement Scholarship or a Corporate-sponsored Achievement Scholarship award.
When Sims took the PSAT her junior year, qualifying for the National Achievement Scholarship was not on her agenda. “I definitely did not think I would qualify, but it was a pleasant surprise that I did! I just went into the PSAT hoping for some extra practice in preparation for the SAT,” Sims said.
Not only did she meet the requirements to become a semi-finalist, but she was also the only student at Poly to qualify for the National Achievement Scholarship. Now that she has proceeded to the finalist level, it is even more of an honor to solely represent her school through her academic successes. “I feel very fortunate to be recognized although I was surprised to hear I was the only one. I am very thankful for the opportunity to be a National Achievement Scholar,” Sims said.
Taking the PSAT her junior year also prepared Sims for taking the real thing: the SAT. “The PSATs are a very good stepping stone into the actual SATs. The SATs can be intimidating and exhausting, but the PSAT allows you to work your way to the SAT rather than just jumping right into the test,” Sims explained.
When Sims finally decided to take her SAT, she knew she wanted to strive for her absolute best. “I took the SAT three times, which was not what I was expecting to do. The first time, I was happy with my score but wanted to try once more. The second time I took the SAT, I was not as prepared as I should have been and only increased my score by 10 points. I knew there was a lot of improvement left for me so I took a second SAT class and reached my goal to surpass 2000 and am very happy with my final score,” Sims said. With her outstanding SAT score, it is no wonder Sims has gotten recognition from well-known, prestigious universities.
So far, she has been accepted into the University of Oregon, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC). Although she still has more colleges to hear back from, Sims has made an almost-definite choice. “At this point, I would love to attend USC in the fall,” Sims said. If Sims does decide to attend USC this fall, she would be greatly aided by its institution. USC has named her a Presidential Scholar, which means she will be provided with a half-tuition merit-based scholarship from the university.
Whatever university Sims chooses, she will undoubtedly put in the same effort she puts in all of her academic endeavors. Through her success in becoming a National Achievement Scholarship finalist and being an overall hard-working student, Sims wishes to inspire other students who strive to achieve academic excellence. “Take everything one step at a time. It is easy to get overwhelmed, so focusing on one goal at a time, like simply taking the PSAT, is a good way to stay focused. Young students should also try to not be derailed by failures. In high school, everything is not going to go the right way, but there is a much bigger picture to focus on,” Sims said.
Sims is well-deserving of this finalist position and we should all wish this Poly Bear the best of luck with the National Achievement scholarship.