Dr. Conrad Swartzentruber, principal of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, recenlty announced that Dock seniors Rachelle Kratz, Sean Lawrence, Monica Roth, and Lauren Scott have been named Commended Students in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program.

“These four students exemplify the scholarship and character of a Christopher Dock Mennonite High School education,” said Dr. Swartzentruber. “Our faculty does an excellent job of preparing students for the demands of college, but also helps them apply what they learn so that they can make good life decisions.”

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Commended students placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2012 competition by taking the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

“The young men and women being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” said a spokesperson for NMSC. “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 this recognition will broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic excellence.”

Also, three students — Christian Allebach, Nicholas Martin and Madeleine J. Ruth —received Commended Student status in the 2010 program, and in 2009, Justin Yoder was a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, while Ben Roth and Emily Hedrick were named National Merit Commended Students and Tannia Nieto was named a National Merit Honorable Mention scholar. In 2007, Christopher Dock had two National Merit Finalists, Katie Clough and Ben Nelson, as well as a National Merit Commended Student, Corinne Yager.