Clarence High School Students Named For National Recognitions

A pair of Clarence High School students recently received national awards, highlighting their hard work and dedication inside and outside of the classroom.

David Brophy, a junior, earned the Congressional Award Silver Medal, while senior Noah Przytulski was named a National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalist.

David earned the Congressional Award through completing 200 hours of voluntary public service, 100 hours of personal development, 100 hours of personal development and 100 hours of physical fitness, and spending at least three days and two nights exploring a new environment or culture. The junior hit the milestone over the last two years, combining his support of the District’s music programs with volunteer work in the town and hiking in New Mexico. 

“You can push yourself a lot further than you think when you challenge yourself toward a goal that you think is unachievable,” David said.

Brophy said he had also applied for the Congressional Award Gold Medal, which has higher hour requirements. He said his time working toward the award gave him skills in reaching out to others. 

Noah was one of approximately 16,000 nationwide to be named a semifinalist after taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which is taken by 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools. The semifinalist group, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

“Knowing I’m in the one percent is pretty neat,” he said. 

Noah said the pace and academic rigor of his classes helped him develop the skills to work quickly and efficiently. He added that his favorite subject is physics, and that he had enjoyed how the subject was taught in Clarence.

About 95 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship. The program is expected to offer 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million in spring 2025.

More information about the Congressional Award can be found at https://www.congressionalaward.org, and information about the National Merit Scholarship Program can be found at www.nationalmerit.org.

Congratulations to David and Noah for their accomplishments!