Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Two Warren Area High School seniors are honored for being named National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Students. From left: Principal Jeff Flickner presents a Certificate of Commendation to Jason Bonavita while Lyndsey Dippold receives a Certificate of Commendation from Counselor Victoria Derby.

Two Warren Area High School students received National Merit Scholarship Program Letters of Commendation on Wednesday.

Jason Bonavita and Lyndsey Dippold “placed among the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.5 million students who entered the competition by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT),” according to a letter to Warren Area High School Principal Jeff Flickner from the National Merit Scholarship Corp.

Commended students are recognized for their “exceptional academic promise,” according to the letter.

“Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” according to NMSC.

“These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation.”

“We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success,” according to the letter.

Dippold said she plans to attend a four-year college and student neuroscience, then go on to graduate or medical school.

Bonavita said he plans to attend a four-year college, earn a degree in biomedical engineering and ideally find work in a research laboratory.