Two high school seniors were recognized in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program for their academic achievements.
Mackenzie Lewter of Tioga ISD and Eliana Abshier of Aubrey ISD were each named Commended Students, receiving Letters of Commendation from their high school principals and joining about 34,000 students nationwide recognized for their scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Lewter received a Letter of Commendation in a similar surprising way while at school.
“I didn't know until [Principal] Kirkland called me down in the middle of the pep rally in front of the whole school, and then announced to everybody what was going on, and I still didn't know what he was talking about,” Lewter said. “And then he finished talking, and he turned to me … and handed me my letter and explained what that meant.”
She described the pep rally as both a pleasant surprise and a frightening moment, having forgotten that results would be released in September.
Since her sophomore year, she has worked diligently to improve her scores so she could qualify as a junior.
“It's difficult, but it's worth it to try on this,” Lewter said. “I know a lot of kids don't want to put in the effort on the SAT or the PSAT just because it's a lot of work. But it does pay off, and it is going to look really good for you.”
Lewter thanked her parents for their support throughout the process, and High School Principal Keith Kirkland said the district is very proud of her.
“It's something that we've really put an emphasis on here at Tioga with the last couple of years, knowing that we have the students that could absolutely achieve this type of success,” Kirkland said. “So, it's great for Mackenzie to kind of put our name out there a little bit and certainly a testament to all of her hard work.”
To become a commended student, both Abshier and Lewter placed in the top 50,000 students who entered the 2027 competition based on their 2025 PSAT/NMSQT scores.
Although they will not advance further in the 2027 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, it is still an impressive feat.
“I was happy to get it,” Abshier said. “I was worried that I wasn't going to; I had heard about it before, and I didn't think I made high enough to qualify.”
Achieving this accomplishment was something Abshier had hoped for but had forgotten about by the time the moment had arrived.
So, when she was taken into a room, with her school lunch tray still in hand, she didn’t know what to expect.
“I was more nervous than anything,” Abshier said. “I walk up here, and the principal's here. My counselor's here. My parents are here. And I'm thinking, what did I do?”
That’s when she was presented with a Letter of Commendation by High School Principal Dr. Vanessa Zavar.
After graduation, Abshier plans to go to medical school and subspecialize in neurology and/or sleep medicine.
“We're extremely proud of Eliana,” Director of Communications Eva Coleman said. “She is the only person here in Aubrey High School's class of 2027 to achieve this accomplishment.”
Abshier thanked her friends for being a big source of encouragement.
“We're so proud of her,” Coleman said. “We salute her and really look forward to seeing the pathway that she chooses in her health science journey.”
