Michelle Luo is one of the 15 National Merit semifinalists of MSMS. She originally moved from New Albany, Mississippi, which is about 90 miles northwest of Columbus.

For starters, Luo is a very high achieving student at MSMS. Not only is she currently the Web Editor of the Vision, but also the SGA Secretary, Physics Club co-president and Mu Alpha Theta co-president. In her free time, she enjoys art, watching movies and “surfing the information superhighway [browsing the internet].” One of her favorite paintings resides in Dr. Benge’s room.

“So, there’s this cat painting I did, hanging in Dr. Benge’s room, you should check it out sometime,” Luo said.

Luo is a wonderful student in class, liked by both teachers and students.

“She is an incredibly gifted individual, both academically and artistically. From the redesign of The Vision’s website to her work in Mu Alpha Theta, she has made a tremendous impact at MSMS and has excelled both in and out of the classroom,” Dr. Benge said.

To achieve National Merit Semifinalist status, Luo began prepping for the PSAT using Khan Academy. The test, she deduced, was like the ACT.

“It’s pretty similar to the ACT in most aspects, except there is a no-calculator math section with fill-in-the-blanks. If you are really interested in getting National Merit and you’re not super great at doing standardized tests already, you should study for it,” Luo said.

After the PSAT, she, like many others, browsed through the bountiful memes that are created minutes after the test.

“My least favorite PSAT meme is the one about the shrimp because I’m pretty sure I missed that question,” Luo said.

However, she did not stress herself out about it. After the test, Luo recounted, thinking, “It’s over with. Time to study for AP Chemistry.”

Outside of school and the stress of studying, one of Luo’s greatest passions is cooking. Because she began at a young age, she nurtured her skill in the hobby longer than most.

“I was allowed a lot of access to the stove at an age where most people were not allowed to touch the stove. I made a lot of ramen.”

Luo attended many summer camps before senior year. The one that stood out to her the most was the Women’s Technology Program (WTP), a four-week camp for high school females to explore engineering with labs and projects on the campus of MIT.

“It was really cool to stay on the MIT campus for a whole month. We did a lot of physics things and listened to a lot of cool speakers at lunch talks. There was a lot of good food. What I enjoyed most, outside of what we learned in class, was that they stocked their kitchens and bought groceries for us. I baked a lot, mostly between the hours of 12 a.m. and 2 a.m.,” Luo said.

Luo’s company is enjoyed by many students at MSMS.

“Shelly’s a great person. She listens to me rant and just generally be annoying all the time. I enjoy her rants about existentialism and about how everything’s pointless—it really lifts up my mood during the day,” said Victoria Waller, one of Luo’s close friends.

In the end, Luo gives some advice to the juniors and recommends for them to read her standardized testing articles:

“I know a lot of juniors stress over it, but it’s not going to define your future. There is more than one way to succeed in life.”