C. J. Elliott - photo courtesy Willard Jones

(Mayfield, KY Feb. 7, 2012) - Graves County High School senior C.J. Elliott has been named a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. The son of Mike Elliott and Jeanna Elliott, he has been accepted as a student at the University of Kentucky, where he will major in chemical engineering with an emphasis on pre-medicine.

C.J. Elliott is the 12th National Merit Semifinalist and 11th Finalist in GCHS history, since it opened in 1985.

Among his many honors, he was selected as the Mayfield Rotary Club’s Student of the Month for February 2012, The Paducah Sun/Mid-Continent University Teen of the Week, a University of Kentucky Collegian, a participant in the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program, a GCHS representative for the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Program, and a GCHS representative for the University of Kentucky “Class of Kentucky Program.”

He served as treasurer of the Beta Club and as a member of Student Council, the Key Club, the Freshman Mentoring Program, the Mayfield-Graves County Youth Leadership Program, the University of Louisville’s Kentucky Ambassadors of Music Program playing French horn, the Kentucky Music Educators’ Association’s All-State Band playing French horn, the GCHS Concert Band, the GCHS Marching Band, the GCHS Pep Band, the GCHS Symphony Orchestra, GCHS musical theater productions, and Purchase Players community theater productions.

            Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corp. announced the names of approximately 15,000 Finalists in the 57th annual national Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,300 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $34 million. More than half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.