NORWICH – Educators say there are some students who are such a pleasure to teach that they make the whole teaching profession worthwhile. By all accounts, Norwich High School Senior Patrick Bankich is one of those academic all-stars.
“Patrick is the guy who keeps you coming back here every day,” explained Linda Callea, who teaches Global History and Social Studies at NHS.
On Wednesday, Callea was one of five Norwich High School teachers who presented Bankich with a Letter of Commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in recognition of his outstanding performance on the Preliminary SAT exam he took last fall.
According to High School Counselor Tracy Maynard, Bankich scored a 209 out of a possible 240 on the exam, which also serves as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. His score, the equivalent of a 2090 on the SATs themselves, placed him in the top five percent of the more than 1.5 million students who took the exam last year. Bankich is one of only 34,000 students across the country to receive recognition as a Commended Student.
According to the NMSC, recognizing high-achieving students such as Bankich is “essential to advancing educational excellence” in the United States.
“As demonstrated by their outstanding performance in our highly competitive program, the young men and women named Commended Students represent some of the most academically talented students in our country,” stated a representative from the organization.
“I am honored to receive this unexpected recognition and am extremely appreciative of all the assistance and guidance that my teachers have provided throughout the years,” said Bankich, following his receipt of the commendation.
While the NHS senior may have been surprised by the acknowledgment of his achievement, Callea and his other teachers were not.
“He is a standout among his peers,” said English Teacher Laura Phillipson, who described Bankich as “singularly dedicated” to both his academic work and his other school involvements, of which there are many.
At the moment, the senior is active in Field Band, Student Government, the Youth Philanthropy Council, National Honor Society, US FIRST Robotics and as a member of the senior class.
Despite all of those varied commitments, he still finds the time to excel academically. “He always takes the time to put in his best effort,” explained Science Teacher Allison Locke.
In all of his involvements, Bankich has shown himself as a leader among his classmates, Callea said.
He has continued to build those skills through The Leadership Project, in which he was one of 25 students to participate in its inaugural year. His current involvement with the program involves working with a group of incoming freshman to help them acclimate to life at the high school.
“He continues to be an excellent mentor to younger students,” said Band Director Lansing Dimon, of Bankich’s involvement with both that program and his work with other band students.
Bankich is also an avid photographer and, when not participating in one of his numerous other activities is a “member” of what he jokingly refers to as the “Attempt-to-Have-a-Social-Life-While-Preparing-For-College Club.”
After graduation, Bankich hopes to continue his education at the United States Military Academy at West Point. If he is unable to secure an appointment to the prestigious institution, he said he plans to pursue a degree in engineering.