Three of Harker Heights High Schools’ top academic seniors stepped into the office to a barrage of bubbles and noisemakers Tuesday to honor their academic excellence.
Class rank is far from final, but these three are easily in the top five in the school’s Class of 2024.
They are also considered among the top 5 percent in the nation in terms of college entrance exam results.
Serenity Howery, Hanah Kim and Amber Loubiere are National Merit Scholar Finalists.
The trio received word last September they were among 16,000 semifinalists nationwide.
Out of that group, about 7,140 earned the finalist designation.
Harker Heights High School Principal Jorge Soldevila said he remembered when the school honored its first Merit Scholar Finalist and then in recent years celebrated two.
This year, he said, is the first to have three seniors earn the high mark.
The three were honestly not surprised when they found out they were finalists – they are smart after all. They did, though, express gratitude at the support they have received over the years.
“I was hopeful to have that kind of community,” said Kim of earning her place among the nation’s best students.
“I think it’s relieving,” she said, explaining that she wasn’t certain how she would perform on standardized tests. “Knowing this is a relief.”
Kim is seeking a university program in biochemistry. She is also a four-time All-State Orchestra member.
“It’s good for scholarships,” said Loubiere, who actually spends her school day this year at Central Texas College and Texas A&M University-Central Texas, where she is involved in campus activities.
“It’s an honor,” said Howery. “It is a symbol of hard work paying off. I have a lot of people to thank. Receiving that praise collectively is really nice.”
She is heavily involved in orchestra and debate. She wants to study biomedical engineering.
