Clark Advanced Learning Center Senior is National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

September 19, 2023 Jon Pine

STUART—Jasmine Nunez, a senior at the Clark Advanced Learning Center, an A-rated public charter school organized in 2004 as a partnership between Indian River State College (IRSC) and the Martin County School District, has been named a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Nunez is one of four students in Martin County named a semifinalist.

Jasmine Nunez The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition for recognition and college undergraduate scholarships. The program announced the names of more than 16,000 semifinalists, who are vying for 7,250 scholarships worth a total of nearly $28 million. About 95% of semifinalists are expected to attain the finalist level of the competition, and approximately half will win National Merit Scholarships.

“Jasmine is a remarkable young woman who excels academically, and as a school and community leader, because of her hard work and dedication,” said Leslie Judd, Executive Director and Principal of Clark Advanced Learning Center. “She has an incredibly bright future in her chosen field of study and I am confident she will continue to demonstrate success.”

This year’s competition began in October 2022, when more than 1.5 million juniors in approximately 21,000 high schools took the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude (PSAT) National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). The highest scoring participants in each state—representing less than one percent of all U.S. high school seniors—were named semifinalists. Finalists will be announced in the spring of 2024.

Nunez, who possesses a 4.0 Grade Point Average, is on track to earn her Associate degree from IRSC through dual enrollment simultaneous with her high school diploma. She has been a Bank of America Scholar, serves as the Student Government President, and is a leader in multiple other student activities. She plans to continue her education in a business or a STEM-focused major with an ultimate goal to pursue a legal career.

About the Clark Advanced Learning Center
Clark Advanced Learning Center—a public charter high school for sophomores, juniors, and seniors—is among the top-scoring Treasure Coast schools based on Florida’s school grading system and among the top 20 high schools in all of Florida. Clark has been designated a Grade "A" school by the State of Florida for 14 consecutive years and is recognized as a High-Performing Charter School and a School of Excellence by the Florida Department of Education. Conveniently located at the Chastain Campus of Indian River State College in Stuart and organized in partnership with the Martin County School District, Clark students can take full advantage of the resources of a college campus and earn tuition-free college credits through dual enrollment at IRSC.