Student Spotlight: Live Oak Seniors Recognized by National Merit

Live Oak seniors recognized for National Merit achievements are (from left) Monica Colón, Kevin Morris, Carter Mencken, Matthew Day, Connor Ford, and Elise Colón. Photo by Doug Fitzjarrell.

Live Oak Classical school has six seniors recognized this year through the National Merit Program.

In 2017, over 1.6 million students took the Preliminary SAT test. The top three percent of students who take the test qualify for recognition, with the top one percent (about 17,000 students) qualifying as Semifinalists. Finalists will be named in February next year. National Hispanic Recognition Scholars are academically outstanding Hispanic/Latino high school students who score in the top two percent of the PSAT.

Sisters Elise and Monica Colón, daughters of Susan Colón and Carlos Colón, have been students at Live Oak for their entire academic lives, both beginning in the school’s first junior kindergarten class. Elise Colón, a National Merit Hispanic scholar and National Merit Commended Student, is interested in the study of art. In her senior thesis, she will explore the beauty in church art and architecture. The inspiration for this research came from a documentary she watched in 8th grade called Why Beauty Matters by Roger Scrutin, which examined how beauty relates to the divine. “Space matters,” Elise remarked. She is excited to continue these studies in college, potentially with an Art History major. Apart from art, Elise enjoys her history and literature classes at Live Oak and her favorite class this semester is calculus. Elise participates on the Mock Trial team, One-Act Play, and basketball.

Monica has a deep love of literature. “I just really like books… and writing and thinking about books,” she admits. Rhetoric and literature composition are among her favorite classes at Live Oak. She is grateful for the many teachers at Live Oak who are both engaging and approachable. Dr. Alyssan Barnes is one such teacher, who helped her one night at midnight to edit a paper for a scholarship. This paper eventually won Monica first place in the 2018 Essay Contest for the Jane Austen Society. She is currently writing her senior thesis on patriotism and the ordered love of home. Monica is looking forward to continuing studying literature in college. Monica is a National Merit Semifinalist and National Merit Hispanic Scholar.

Carter Mencken, a National Merit Semifinalist, has lived in Waco with parents Kimberly and Carson Mencken for 16 years. He began his time at Live Oak in fourth grade and enjoys his time as both an athlete and student. Carter captains the football and basketball teams and also runs track. Within the classroom, Carter’s interests lie within the field of science. In 7th and 9th grade, he participated in the science fair, winning an award at Texas Tech for his research on the effects of run-off within freshwater ecosystems. For his senior thesis, Carter will study ethics and biology of GMO crops and their potential to aid society. Upon graduation, Carter plans to continue pursuing his love for biology, focusing on genetics.

Kevin Morris moved to Waco when he was in second grade. Born in Southern India, Kevin moved with his parents Morris George and Deepa Morris and has been a student at Live Oak for six years. “I’ve always been fascinated by science,” Kevin admits. During his junior year, Kevin began to research the intersection of medicine and ethics in the field of radical life extension. He plans to continue this research for his senior thesis, specifically looking at telomeres as a means of increasing the healthy lifespan. He is interested in becoming a pediatrician and will begin college on the pre-med track. Kevin notes that this interest comes in part from having two younger sisters. Outside of the classroom, Kevin has participated in mock trial, basketball, and the One-Act play. Kevin is a National Merit Semifinalist.

Matthew Day, a National Merit Commended Scholar, has been a student at Live Oak for ten years, beginning in third grade. With varied interests, Matthew has been able to explore many areas of study while at Live Oak. He considers himself as more of a “math and science guy,” with his favorite subject being calculus. At the same time, Matthew enjoys the outdoors and plans on writing his senior thesis on man’s physical and spiritual need for nature, using the Bible and transcendentalist texts as a means of analysis. Outside of the classroom, Matthew runs for the track and cross country team and spends time at Salvation Army with the Young Men’s Service League. In addition to these many pursuits, Matthew has a passion for computer science and plans to study it more in college. “I am intrigued with how technology works,” Matthew revealed, “and learning what makes programs tick.” Matthew is the son of Lori and Andrew Day.

Connor Ford, son of Sarah Ford and Todd Ford, is beginning his tenth year at Live Oak. With a natural knack for problem solving, Connor is drawn to subjects that focus on math and logic. He appreciates how his teachers “don’t teach to a test,” bur rather give a “deeper understanding for math as a whole.” In seventh grade, Live Oak’s physics teacher Mr. Graham pulled Connor out of study hall to participate in a programming class. Connor’s love for computer science has been growing ever since and he plans on studying it more in college. He is excited about the prospects of software development and its practical use outside of the world of technology. Until then, Connor will be writing his senior thesis on the civic duty to vote in public elections. Connor is a National Merit Commended Student.

Each of these students expressed their gratitude for Live Oak’s challenging curriculum and caring support from the faculty. They encourage younger students to engage with the material and with their teachers. Matthew Day’s advice is to “not stress about everything so much. Do everything you can to the best of your ability – it doesn’t need to be perfect, but it should be your best.”