Last week, Chesterton High School senior Luke Sparks received the National Merit Semifinalist honor, a distinction earned by only 16,000 students nationwide.
The National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, or NMSQT, is a historic, prestigious program designed to provide students with recognition and scholarships. The award is based on the PSAT tests students take in their junior year. After the scores are processed through an algorithm, the College Board assigns each student an index score. In Indiana, the cutoff for the class of 2025 was an index score of 217 (last year’s seniors only needed to score 216). Semifinalists are selected from each state. Sparks scored well above the required index, securing his spot in the semifinalist category.
Sparks had been preparing for the test months before most students began. In fact, he started studying in the summer before his junior year.
“I did a practice book, and some questions on there for a while in the summer leading up to it,” Sparks said. “During the school year, too.”
Sparks also participated in Mr. Ward’s PSAT prep club.
“[T]he prep club with Mr. Ward, I’d say that was pretty helpful,” Sparks recounts. “We went over questions and different strategies.”
By the time the October test date arrived, he was more than ready.
Sparks was called down to the main office early last week, when he first learned he’d gotten the award he’d been working towards.
“I got called down to the office, and Mr. Martinson gave me a handshake and I thought, this is pretty cool.”
Principal Martinson was there, ready to congratulate him.
“Luke Sparks exemplifies the qualities of an exceptional student…We are incredibly proud of his achievements and are excited to see what his future holds,” said Principal Brent Martinson, as quoted in the Dune News, the Duneland School Corporation’s weekly newsletter.
Although Sparks was awaiting the score releases, his achievement wasn’t actually that much of a surprise.
“I kind of figured I was going to get it, based on my index score…but it was nice to see that I did get it, and nice to get an award,” Sparks said.
Sparks and his family knew about the award well before the rest of his peers did. And his parents were pretty excited for him.
“Oh, they just thought it was cool, and congratulated me,” Sparks explained.
He isn’t the first in his family to receive an award like this, though. The Sparks family has a history of outstanding academics and talent. A couple of years ago, Luke’s now-graduated brother, Eric, was named a National Merit Scholar Commended Student his senior year.
“My brother got commended,” said Sparks. “It was nice to one-up him. I was happy about that.”
A friendly, lighthearted competition with his brother wasn’t the only motivation for Sparks to perform well on the test, however. Pursuing success is a normal part of his school day.
“I always try to do as well as I can on everything,” Sparks commented.
And he truly does. Sparks is also involved in various activities around the school, all of which he excels in: everything from sports to academic competitions to honor societies. He plays boys varsity soccer in the fall and runs unified track and field in the spring. Sparks competes for the CHS Quiz Bowl and Academic Superbowl teams. He’s also a part of the National Honor Society (NHS) and the Duneland School Corporation Health and Wellness Committee.
“His commitment to his studies, leadership in the classroom, and involvement in our school community have truly set him apart,” Martinson said via the Dune News.
Sparks’s devotion to academics and involvement paid off in the long run, as well. He accumulated lots of skills while prepping for the NMSQT that he was able to use later on in his high school career.
“When I was preparing for the SAT, I used the same prep book,” Sparks recalled. “It’s pretty much the same strategies, similar questions. I think it helped.”
Sparks used those same strategies when he took his SAT later in his junior year, which is the test most students report to colleges when they apply.
When asked to give guidance to other students at CHS who want to do what he did, Sparks shared some advice:
“Get a prep book and put in some work preparing for it. If you put in a lot of time, you’ll probably do pretty well.”
To become one of 7,500 finalists throughout the nation, Sparks will need to submit a detailed scholarship application. This includes an essay and information about his academic record, extracurricular activities, leadership abilities, and honors received. Finalists will be announced in February of next year, with scholarship winners to follow in the spring.
As Sparks continues in his journey to becoming a finalist, his dedication and success continue to inspire those around him, setting the stage for even greater accomplishments in the years ahead.
