SANDPOINT — Each year, fewer than 1% of high school seniors in the U.S. are National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. Yesterday, Sandpoint High School’s Jenna Hughes discovered she was among them. 

After being called out of class and brought to SHS’s main office, Hughes was surprised to be greeted by family members and school staff with a bouquet of flowers and informed about the award she’d received. 

“It's a super honor to you,” SHS post-secondary transition counselor Jeralyn Mire told Hughes. “We're so proud of you as a school.” 

Hughes — Bonner County’s only semifinalist this year — is among 103 Idaho seniors and 16,000 students nationally to receive the honor, which was awarded based on preliminary SAT scores from 2023. 

About 95% of National Merit Scholarship semifinalists go on to become finalists — an accolade that often translates to a significant reduction in tuition cost at colleges across the country. 

Hughes said she is considering attending the University of Idaho in Moscow or Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, and plans to study architecture. 

During her time at SHS, Hughes has participated in Academic Decathlon, an honors elective course encompassing mathematics, economics, art, music, language, literature, and science that aims to prepare students for academic competitions. 

In AcaDeca, SHS is in the midst of a dynasty. In March 2024, Hughes helped the Bulldogs defeat 12 other Idaho schools to win Sandpoint’s sixth consecutive state championship. 

“Doing AcaDeca, I ended up studying art history, which I really enjoyed,” Hughes said. That thread led her to the history of architecture and stoked an interest in building design. “I just kept on learning about it,” she added. 

“I'm also good at math and art, so I figured (architecture) kind of fits my strengths.” 

Hughes’ quiet demeanor belies a relentlessness that powers her academic success. 

“Jenna reminds me of a lovely, lovely, beautiful duck,” said Mire. “On the surface she’s calm, but underneath she’s paddling like crazy.” 

“It's so easy for parents a lot of times to say, ‘Look at our amazing kids. Look what we've done,’” said Vaughn Hughes, Jenna’s father. 

“Jenna is Jenna. She's the one who's motivated and who works hard,” he added.

Corina Hughes, Jenna’s mother, recalled a time she noticed Jenna was awake at a late hour of the night — only to discover her poring over her AcaDeca binder. 

“She's a bright girl. She always surprises us,” she said. 

Over the next month, Mire and SHS staff will prepare the necessary documents for a finalist application while Hughes performs tasks including writing an essay, securing a recommendation from a teacher, and more. 

According to a National Merit Scholarship Corporation press release, finalists will be notified in early February 2025.