Welcome back to another edition of the “National Merit Semifinalist Spotlight” where we, The Vision, bring you an inside scoop on the lives of one of MSMS’s twelve honorees. If you haven’t checked our other spotlights in this series, you can check the other awesome articles on our website!

This week, the student on showcase is Leah Pettit. Pettit was one of sixteen thousand honorees recognized by College Board for achieving a PSAT score equivalent or greater than the “cutoff” score for their respective states. For Mississippi, the score was 213, and Pettit was able to achieve score greater than this.

In preparation for the PSAT, Pettit used practice tests as her primary resource. “More than anything, that helped me figure out what kinds of answers they were looking for and how quickly I needed to work,” Pettit explained.

Pettit also emphasized on hydration and sleep as part of her test preparation. “For kids who are about to take the PSAT, I recommend sleep and water. Dehydration causes a lot of the same problems as sleep deprivation, and for me, at least, it is a whole lot easier to forget about.”

Additionally, Pettit wanted to provide a little insight on how to cope with waiting for those who are currently waiting for PSAT scores. “While waiting for test scores, forget about them. You failed that test. It was a stupid test anyway. You have more important things in your life, so focus on them,” Pettit exclaimed. To add, Pettit advises to relax and move on as the test has already concluded.

On a daily basis, Pettit gets out of bed by the random things that make her happy. “Is there a Finnish Club Meeting? Mu Alpha Theta? Maybe I’ll get to go to the shop tonight, or we’re doing something cool in AP C,” Pettit described.

During Pettit’s free time, she partakes in the art of woodworking. “I enjoy woodworking, but I really only get to do that when I go home,” Pettit explained. Because of this dilemma, at school, Pettit tries out random hobbies such as dorodango and bookbinding, hangs out with her friends, or re-reads some obscure children’s books, which she describes as ones “you’ve probably never heard of.”

As of now, Pettit claims that her hardest classes are either University English II with Mrs. Emma Richardson or Math Modeling with Dr. Philip Benge. However, Pettit also claims that her favorite is Math Modeling. “My favorite is definitely Math Modeling because it is real-world, math-based problem solving,” Pettit stated, “What’s not to love?”

For what Pettit wants to have accomplished by the end of her lifetime, she is not certain herself. However, Pettit keeps short-term goals in mind as she progresses forward. “Hmm. Hang-gliding would be cool. And actually finishing the toys for Santa’s Workshop,” Pettit stated. Whatever Pettit desires in the future, she is sure to achieve great things having achieved the title of National Merit Semifinalist.