February starts out with a rodent predicting the weather and transitions into a holiday of love midway through. For Bridgeport High School senior Madison Seti, it was also the month where she received notice that she was among the roughly one percent of high school seniors who earned a spot as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist.

 

Seti learned of her semifinalist position back in September, after having a qualifying score on her PSAT 11 Exam, submitting a principal recommendation and activities summary, and writing a moving essay about her inspiring grandmother who cared for her grandfather as he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Nationwide, 15,000 students are selected as finalists for the National Merit Scholarship, which will provide a full-ride for Seti to attend West Virginia University in the fall. She plans to major in engineering and has already been accepted to the WVU Honor’s College.  Additionally, her scholarship will provide an opportunity for her to travel abroad.

 

“I play to utilize my stipend to participate in a faculty-led abroad program,” Seti said. “Regardless of my destination, I hope to use the experience to not only add dimension to my discipline-related education, but to also learn about different lands, cultures and lifestyles.”

 

In addition to her academic success, 4-H has been a huge part of her success. She has served as her club President all four years of high school and has been involved since elementary school. This summer, she will serve as chief of her tribe at the Harrison County 4-H Camp.  

 

Seti was also recently named as a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program by the White House Committee on Presidential Scholars and the U.S. Department of Education. She has been an active member of BHS Art Club, Humane Society Club, Drug Free Club, Key Club, National Honor Society, and Yearbook Staff. She was selected as a Natural Peer Helper, and has spearheaded and participated in numerous community service projects.

 

Her volunteerism extends beyond the halls of BHS, as she began Project Love Letters, where she makes handmade Valentine’s cards for residents in nursing homes and Meals on Wheels recipients. She is a member of Johnstown United Methodist Church, where she also teaches Sunday School and she has been instrumental in raising funds and resources for those less fortunate.

 

The list of academic and civic awards Seti has earned is more than impressive. She was named the BHS Student of the Month, won the VFW Voice of Democracy Award, won the Horace Mann Essay Contest, has placed among the top students in Math Field Day and has been named an AP Merit Scholar with Honor for excelling in her Advanced Placement exams.

 

“ I am happy to represent Bridgeport High School in such a rigorous scholarship competition and I feel my accomplishment is reflective of my hard work both inside and out of the classroom,” she said. “I owe much of my success to my family, teachers, and administrators for their continued support.”