by Trevor Hass
Sports Reporter
A couple years ago, Jeff Knollenberg gave his son, Zach, some uncommon advice.
He encouraged him to not get a job. Instead, Jeff suggested he spend hours studying for the ACT and PSAT.
“I told him if he did well on those tests he could earn $100,000,” Jeff Knollenberg said, “and that’s way more than he could earn at Burger King.”
The advice paid off, as Zach – now a senior at Spectrum High – was named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. The scholarship will likely help him get a full ride to either the University of Alabama or the University of Oklahoma,
Knollenberg isn’t necessarily your traditional top-notch student. He’s also a 1,000-point scorer on the basketball team. Jeff said his son thrives as both a student and athlete and typically comes home after practice and does his homework right away.
Jeff Knollenberg said his son is leaning toward studying law, but he also excels in English, Science and Math. Earning high grades didn’t come easily to Zach, but he worked hard and now all that studying is paying off.
“We’re very fortunate parents,” Jeff Knollenberg said. “We’re blessed. He’s done it all on autopilot.”
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When Zimmerman senior Hailey Meleen found out she was a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, she didn’t run off and tell her friends. That’s not the kind of person she is, her mother, Pam Krotzer, says.
“She’s never wanted to make anybody feel like it’s a competition or anything,” Krotzer said. “She obviously hangs out with very smart children, but she’s been very humble about it.”
Meleen holds a 4.093 GPA, she’s played clarinet in the jazz band since sixth grade and she’s joining the musical this year to try something different.
Hailey Meleen, of Zimmerman High, was named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist.
She earned a score of 34 on her ACT, and is now deciding which school to attend. Krotzer said her daughter has narrowed her list down to five schools, and the top two are Macalester College and the University of Minnesota.
“We’re very excited,” Krotzer said. “She’s a reserved kid, and I’ve never had to tell her to do her homework or push her. All of her achievements basically are from her inner drive. That’s who she is.”
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Mitchell Loukusa of Rogers High and Timothy Wilder of Elk River High also earned the status of semifinalist. The four students – Knollenberg, Meleen, Loukusa and Wilder – are part of a group that represents less than one percent of high school seniors across the nation.
To become a finalist, the students must now submit an application. There are 16,000 semifinalists, and 15,000 will be selected as finalists.