Post Messenger Recorder -

What do William H. Gates III (Former Chairman, Microsoft Corporation), Mae Carol Jemison (former NASA astronaut, and first African-American Woman in space), and Peter P. Buttigieg (United States Secretary of Transportation and former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana) all have in common? They were all named National Merit Scholars back in high school. In retrospect, one wonders if this award may have been "the thing" that set them each on a course for their future accomplishments - but was it THE THING to put them in the "gold zone?" for life, as offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett of the Packers has re-coined the expression of being in the "red zone." Hackett calls it the "gold zone" because when you are in the game and playing hard, you are going for the GOLD! In other words, you are focused and on a path to achieve your dreams.

In their own right, students at Belleville High School (BHS) are getting pretty good at going for the gold when it comes to National Merit Scholarship competition - with the recent announcement from officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation that BHS seniors Matthew Loshaw and Zachary Thole have been named semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program this fall.

District Administrator Nate Perry is thrilled with their accomplishment. "Matt and Zach continue the excellence demonstrated by recent Belleville High School graduates. We are proud of their accomplishments, wish them well in advancing in the National Merit process, and hope they serve as models to our younger learners in what you can achieve through hard work and dedication."

These two academically talented high school seniors now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million that will be offered next spring. Just like their former classmate and BHS alumni, Jacob Kean, now a National Merit Scholar, did last fall. Kean was named one of six Dane County National Merit Scholar winners and is the second Belleville student in BHS history to receive this prestigious award. He will receive $1,000 per academic year, annually, toward his college tuition costs.

In a school with just 305 students, repeatedly Belleville High School is mounting a tradition of academic excellence in this contest! Michelle Chalupnik also won the National Merit Scholar award in 2013; and so, since 2003, BHS has had two winners, nine finalists, and one qualifier in this prestigious competition. These alumni achievements serve as a continuous reminder and model to future students that this "gold zone" is possible if one works hard and stays focused on the game plan. If you look at these results, the size of a school really does not matter in the big picture because Belleville has proven through its awards, test scores, teachers, resources, and student and alumni achievements, that it has the play book and stats for success - students just need to find their "gold zone" and stay in the game to achieve their dreams!