ABILENE – Abilene High School senior Jane Hill has been selected as a “Commended Student” in the National Merit Scholarship Program for 2019-20.

More than two-thirds (about 34,000) of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Commended Students are named on the basis of a nationally applied Selection Index score that may vary from year to year and is typically below the level required for participants to be named Semifinalists in their respective states.

Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some of these students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.

Hill is recognized by The College Board an AP Scholar with Distinction, an honor that celebrates her commitment to participation and her outstanding track record of performance in The College Board’s Advanced Placement program. Hill has completed a total of eight AP exams with an average score of 4.38 out of 5.0 possible points.

She began her senior year having already earned perfect scores on AP exams in English Language and Composition, Environmental Science, US History, and AP Seminar. Hill is on track to complete five more AP courses before she graduates from AHS in May 2020.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Hill is an avid runner and baker. Hill said baking allows her to relieve stress and show her more creative side, for which she recently won third place in the youth division of a pie-making contest. Her layered cakes get decorated to suit her mood, and then they are shared with family, friends, and teachers. Bringing balance to her love for baking is Jane’s equal passion for fitness. She’s an avid morning runner and adds workouts at Hendrick Health Club on several afternoons each week. “I can be really tired, but after a workout I feel refreshed,” said Hill, who hopes to attend Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Her AP Research teacher, James McGee, recognizes Jane’s determination and the strategic thinking that helps her find ways to succeed.

“Jane is always thinking,” McGee said. “When she speaks, she is confident in her convictions – even when they are unconventional. She doesn’t set out to be unique, but she always is.”