PTHS senior Michael-Ellen Walden has been named a Commended Student in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship program.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2017 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2017 competition by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

Walden is a member the PTHS Speech Team, PTHS Choir, Concordia, Academic Team and National Honor Society. She is a member of the Maiden Alley Cinema teen board and is active at Market House Theatre. She plans to attend a four year university and major in Musical Theater. Her parents are Wayne and Kelly Walden.