PTHS seniors Jose Roberto dos Remedios and Claire Kelly

Paducah, KY - Paducah Tilghman High School seniors Jose Roberto dos Remedios and Claire Kelly have achieved the distinction of National Merit Semifinalist in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Dos Remedios and Kelly are two of 16,000 semifinalists selected from 1.5 million high school juniors who entered the program by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). 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.

"We are proud of these outstanding students. This national honor is a result of years of hard work and dedication to their academic studies. For both Jose Roberto and Claire, excellence is the only acceptable level of achievement. Having two national semi-finalists shows the caliber of our students and the outstanding educational opportunities at Tilghman," said superintendent Donald Shively.

From the approximately 16,000 semifinalists, 15,000 are expected to advance to finalist status. From these finalists, half will receive scholarships offered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. In addition, semifinalists and finalists are eligible for numerous full and partial scholarships from various public and private universities.

Dos Remedios is a member of the PTHS Choir, the a cappella men's vocal ensemble Prime Rib, the PTHS Academic team, Mock Trial, National Honor Society and Beta Club. He is on the staff of the Tilghman Bell. He is a 2016 Governor's School for the Arts alumnus and an AP Scholar with Distinction. He practices martial arts at Hwang's Martial Arts. His parents are Julie and Roberto dos Remedios.

Kelly is a member of the PTHS Choir, the a cappella women's vocal ensemble Concordia, the PTHS Speech team, Mock Trial, Beta Club, Student Council and the National Honor Society. She is on the staff of the Tilghman Bell. She is a 2016 Governor's Scholars Program alumnus and an AP Scholar. She is active at Market House Theatre and serves on the Maiden Alley Cinema Teen Board. Her parents are Robin and Keith Kelly.