The Super Senior

Fort Scott High School senior Shelby Fleming has been selected as one of the finalists for the National Merit Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to 15,000 high school seniors across the country each year. (Michael Pommier/Tribune)

Shelby Fleming is in rare company.

The Fort Scott High School senior recently learned that she is a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship, an honor that only about 15,000 students nationwide earn each year. Fleming earned the award following her outstanding performance on the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT), also known as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT).

Fleming took the test during her junior year in the fall of 2008 and received a composite score in the 99th percentile, or the top 1 percent of those students who took the test.

Fleming said she took the test because of her eagerness to learn and to help give her an advantage when she seeks admission to college next year.

"It's good preparation for college, and important for what college you want to go to," she said. "And I have a lot of motivation to succeed."

Fleming said she attributes her success on the test to her drive and determination, and some encouragement from teachers and family members.

"I don't like to fail," she said. "My parents have pushed me to want to succeed."

Some activities that Fleming is involved in at FSHS include cross country, PRIDE, and the National Honor Society -- activities that have helped her grow as a person and student.

"I use my time more wisely now," she said. "And it helps me to be around other people and be a more well-rounded student."

FSHS Gifted Education Teacher Diana Endicott, who helps provide guidance for students who are gifted academically, said Fleming is successful because she is a "hard, diligent worker, self-motivated, and accepts guidance."

"She gets things done," Endicott said. "There is a lot of motivation and self-discipline, and she thrives on knowing and questioning."

Fleming agreed, adding that she likes to "know the truth and guide other people ... it's a motivator for me."

Endicott said although students can take test preparations in class, the PSAT is not the type of test that students can "cram" for the night before the test and expect to do well on, but rather a test of a student's accumulated knowledge from 12 years of learning.

High school sophomores and juniors who perform well on the PSAT can reap high rewards. Several scholarships are available for National Merit finalists and many schools even give National Merit Finalsit students a 100 percent scholarship to cover tuition, room and board, and even a stipend.

Fleming said she is "undecided" as far as her plans after high school, but she is currently considering two colleges, and possibly pursuing a career in the Christian ministry or the psychology field.

"I will definitely go on to something that challenges me," she said.