Megan Chan, 16, a Springs Homeschool senior who lives in Murrieta, has been named a Commended Student in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program.
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She was recognized by Kathleen Hermsmeyer, Springs’ superintendent, at a school board meeting on October 15. Being a Commended Student indicates that Megan placed among the top 3% of the more than 1.5 million students who competed in the program. “Megan is an exceptional student who is comfortable both as a leader and teammate,” observed Katherine Pangle, principal of the Temecula Student Center. “She has a drive to be successful and there is no doubt that she will make a difference in the world.” Megan has attended Springs since the 3rd grade. She likes Springs because of the flexibility of participating in school programs and the opportunities she has received through the school. Her favorite subjects include math, science and English. Megan serves as the business lead and vice president for the Cyborg Zombies FIRST (For Recognition and Inspiration of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition Team. In this role, she has been responsible for marketing, outreach, and fundraising for the team. George Essel, CTE Senior Department Head at Springs and the school’s lead robotics coordinator, said, “Through her efforts as the leader of the business team, the Cyborg Zombies have been a self-sustaining extracurricular organization of the school. Her understanding of her role and ability to complete all required tasks with little or no supervision has been a great benefit to me.”
Megan’s other notable achievements include being elected President of the River Springs Charter School’s National Honor Society and taking first place in the River Springs Science Fair in 2013, and receiving third place at the RIMS regional science fair in the biochemistry category. She will graduate with a CTE certificate in the business pathway, having completed all three courses (Introduction to Business, Marketing and Advertising, Bookkeeping Fundamentals) as well as a culminating project (robotics team and internship). By the end of her senior year, she will have 49 units of college credit. Other interests include dance ballet; she’s been dancing since age 5 and practices at a pre-professional level. She is also a Kung Fu instructor and achieved a black sash at age 14. She said, “They’re both great ways to relieve stress and stay healthy.” Upon graduation she plans to attend university and pursue an engineering degree. She’s ultimately interested in a career in the engineering or technology industry.
