Trinity Academy senior Vesper Haley always gives her best to everything she does.
Now, she is a 2027 National Merit Scholarship semifinalist.
Students qualify as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists based on performance on the Preliminary SAT or National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. To qualify, students must score in the top 1% of PSAT scorers in their state.
“I took the PSAT about a year ago,” Haley said. “I got my score and kind of forgot about it. I knew this was a possibility, but I really didn’t think I was going to get it, honestly. When I found out about this, it was just a big surprise, and it was very fun.”
Trinity Academy Head of School Kendra Scheck said she was not entirely surprised by the results, describing Haley as a bright, well-rounded and intentional student.
“We’re very excited to have Vesper recognized for this accomplishment,” Scheck said. “She has been a student at Trinity since our doors opened in the fall of 2023, her freshman year. She is an excellent student, a supportive and involved classmate and a young woman of strong character. She is so very deserving of this recognition.”
Although the recognition highlights Haley’s academic abilities, Haley said her studies are only one part of who she is.
“She tries hard in everything she does, and that includes academics,” Scheck said. “She’s a great dancer, and she is just such a fun friend. She brings so much life to the school. She’s silly. She likes there to be dress-up days, and she goes all out with those dress-up days.
“She’s just so into everything that’s in front of her, and academics is just one of those things.”
Outside of school, Haley participates in dance and a youth group at Hillcrest Evangelical Free Church. In school, she serves as vice president of Trinity Academy’s student council.
Haley said she enjoys the relationships she has built throughout her time at Trinity Academy and has learned a lot from her teachers.
No matter what she does, she always gives it her all.
“If I’m going to do something, I'm going to try to do it well,” she said.
Semifinalists must complete the National Merit Scholarship application, which includes information about their academic record, activities, leadership and an essay. Abouty 6,930 students nationwide are expected to receive National Merit Scholarships in 2027.
The National Merit Scholarship Program, corporate sponsors and colleges or universities fund the awards, which vary in amount.
In her application essay, she highlighted the impact of a literature-themed study abroad trip she took to England with Hillsdale College in Michigan during the summer before her junior year.
She said she met amazing friends and professors during the experience, which gave her a new appreciation for literature.
“It just made me really more into learning than I had been before,” she said. “The way we studied the literature, I just realized how interesting all these books are. Like, I read Hamlet, and it just has so much more depth in it that I didn’t really realize when I first read it.”
As she prepares to graduate, Haley is still deciding where she will attend college and what she will study, though she is considering a degree in the arts.
“She’s got such great character,” Scheck said. “Everyone in the school just loves her, and we’re going to miss her so much. She kind of leads really gently as a senior but has always been a leader in the school and just makes sure everyone’s included and heard and validated.”
