The finalists represent the top 1 percent of students scoring on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, taken during their sophomore year of high school. Annually, more than 1.4 million students take the PSAT; 15,000 students are selected as National Merit Finalists during their senior year.
This year's crop of finalists includes Matthew Klebanoff, Jeffrey Kalmus, Danielle Angel and Jacqueline Schector.
Subhed: Matthew Klebanoff
Matthew Klebanoff, a senior at Kennedy High School, is a member of the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Art Honor Society. Klebanoff is also the editor-in-chief of the Cougar Crier, the school's newspaper, president of the Yorker Club, co-captain of the math team and founder of the World Heritage Club.
Klebanoff's interest in science led him to perform research on the role of the cytoskeleton in cotton fiber development at Hofstra University, for which he was awarded semifinalist honors in the prestigious Intel science research contest earlier this year. In the future, Klebanoff would like to combine his passions for writing and science.
Subhed: Jeffrey Kalmus
Jeffrey Kalmus, a senior at Kennedy High School, excels in math and science. He is the captain of the math team, was selected to the Nassau County All-Star Math Team, received the Robert Fusco Highest Scoring Mathlete Award for Nassau County and performed math research at Stony Brook University.
Kalmus is also president of the Science Club, received high honors in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad and was an AAPT U.S. Physics Team semi-finalist.
Kalmus is a National Spanish Exam Gold Medalist, captain of the Long Island Challenge Quiz Bowl team and the computer club vice president. And he belongs to the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Math Honor Society.
DANIELLE ANGEL
Danielle Angel, a senior at Kennedy High School, is in all honors classes, has been on the honor roll every semester and is in the Spanish Honor Society.
Angel has been a member of the school's pit band since ninth grade, and she is a member of the Long Island Gemini Orchestra and the Long Island Youth Orchestra, which has performed in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Brazil, China, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria to raise money for these nations' local charities.
Angel would like to study international affairs and hopes to pursue a career in politics and possibly work at the United Nations.
Subhead: Jacqueline Schector
Jacqueline Schector, a Calhoun High School senior, is a member of the National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, National Math Honor Society, New York State Science Honor Society and Women in Science Society of St. John's University. She volunteers at Winthrop University Hospital, Long Island Cares, is an assistant leader of a Girl Scout troop and has taken part in several fund-raising activities.
Her extracurricular activities at Calhoun include the AIDS Awareness Club, Civil Liberties Club, Hoofbeats newspaper, science club, math mentorship, Sierra Club and the debate team. This past summer, she attended the Boston University Summer Challenge and the Global Youth Leadership Conference.
