Senior Aaron Zhang was recently named a 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program finalist, a prestigious designation given to only approximately 9,000 U.S. high school students annually out of a field of more than 2 million candidates. It will allow him to pursue one of 7,6000 National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $33 million, to be offered later this spring by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which has held the academic scholarship competition since 1955.

Also announced was recognition for fellow outstanding senior Jonathon Wagner, who was named a Commended Student in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program.

For the second year in a row, Kayla Ruiz won the Deer Park High School Poetry Out Loud Contest with a score of 45.33.  The maximum score possible was 47. The runners up were Jessica Orelus with a score of 42.66 and Christina O’Toole with a score of 42.33.

Ruiz went on to recite at the regional competition at Stony Brook University on Feb. 26, which was facilitated by the State University of New York, Teachers & Writers Collaborative, National Endowment for the Arts and New York State Council on the Arts.

“This year was more competitive, so I was nervous, but it was a really cool competition,” said Ruiz. “I had a lot of fun.”

More than 12,000 high school students participated in last year’s nationwide and worldwide Poetry Out Loud Contest.

A team of young scientists from the high school recently won a sportsmanship award at the regional Bay Scallop Bowl at Stony Brook University, earning them a free trip to the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead. This was the 10th year that Deer Park’s team of young scientists has competed in the Bay Scallop Bowl, a rigorous competition in the marine sciences.  

High schooler Aaron Zhang finished in first place in the senior division at the Suffolk County Math Tournament, held Jan. 9 at Suffolk County Community College in Selden. More than 500 of the county’s top math students from grades 9-12 – including two squads from Deer Park – competed in individual and team competitions. This was the third straight year in which Zhang, Deer Park’s Class of 2015 salutatorian, has won his grade level at the tournament.