Seventeen Herricks High School seniors have been named Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Nibras Ahmed, Gianna Chan, Crystal (Ya-Han) Chang, Elizabeth S. Ederer, Priya V. Kumar, Barath K. Mahesh, Setu Mehta, Ashwin Palaniappan, Naeha Pathak, Manvi C. Shah, Jasper Sim, Crystal M. Thomas, Daniel Thomas, Jaywon Woo, Adam Xie, Andrew Yeung and Justin Zeng achieved this distinction based on their Preliminary SAT scores.
Ahmed Nibras served as a student representative on the board of education last year, is co-secretary general for Model United Nations and participates as a member of the swim team. Gianna is co-vice president and editor-in-chief for the Yearbook and last year was named a Siemens Semifinalist as well as a Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program Gold Key award recipient. Crystal (Ya-Han) Chang is co-president of the Animal Welfare Club, volunteers at North Shore Animal League and teaches church Bible School.
Edereris’s co-captain of the girls varsity tennis team, co-president of the Animal Rights Club and an executive board member for Justice League. Kumar is MVP and captain of the varsity spring track team, serves as an executive board member for the Current Events Club and participates as a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Mahesh is the director of engineering notebook for Robotics Club, a National Honor Society member and serves on the board of the Rube Goldberg Club.
Mehta is co-captain of the varsity tennis team, co-president of the Indian Culture Club and a Girl Scouts ambassador. Palaniappan is Student Government class president, Future Medical Frontiers president and a member of the varsity tennis team. Pahtak was named a Siemens semifinalist last year, is first author of a science research paper published in the European Scientific Journal and was named Miss Teen India New York in 2014.
Shah is co-president of the Indian Culture Club, public relations officer for the Dance Theatre Club and volunteers at Northwell LIJ Hospital. Sim is a concert orchestra cellist, a member of the Change organization and volunteered in Ghana teaching children. Thomas is on the Mock Trial Team, is a National Honor Society member and participates on the KCYL Board outside of school.
Daniel Thomas serves as co-secretary general of Model United Nations, vice president of the Robotics Club and a museum guide at the Cradle of Aviation. Woo has provided more than 254 community service hours to the New York Laureate Orchestra as a cellist and is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society as well as the Asian American cultural club. Xie is president of the Asian American Culture Club, co-president of Habitat for Humanity and has excelled as a nationally-ranked fencer.
Yeung is a level 6 violin NYSSMA performer, has given his time in Costa Rica building handicapped bathrooms for a church and also volunteers for the SMYL Project. Zeng is co-president of Habitat for Humanity, co-captain of the Line Dance Team and a member of the National Honor Society.
—Submitted by the Herricks Public Schools
