E. D. White Catholic High School is proud to announce that senior Taylor Degruise, daughter of Terry Degruise and the late Troy Degruise, has advanced from Semifinalist to Finalist status in the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program. 

About 1.5 million juniors in some 22,000 high schools entered the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2009 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state's percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

To become a Finalist, a Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student's earlier performance on the qualifying test. The Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, which includes the student's essay and information about the Semifinalist's participation and leadership in school and community activities.

Approximately 15,000 Semifinalists advanced to the Finalist level, and it is from this group that all National Merit Scholarship winners will be chosen. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2011.  Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 250 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor's employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 200 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,900 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2011 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 275,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

Degruise is a member of the E. D. White Key Club and National Honor Society.  She has competed at the State Literary Rally in both English I and English III.  She plans to pursue a degree in law following graduation.

The second annual Cardinal Prayer Breakfast, sponsored by the E. D. White Alumni Association, was held on Tuesday, February 8 at Envie.  The guest speaker for the event was Sonny Jackson, prior head football coach at Nicholls State University and McNeese State University.  Mr. Jackson spoke about the inevitable adversity that one will face during a lifetime.  He shared personal stories about his life and revealed how he turned to God during times of adversity.  He also encouraged parents to allow their children to fail; through trials in life, we learn valuable lessons that build strength of character.  Eddie Himel '75 sang the opening and the closing songs, and members of the Alumni Association Board also participated in the program.  Billy Naquin '84, Alumni Association president, chaired the event, which was enjoyed by approximately 73 alumni, friends, and students of the school.