BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
EVANSTON, Ill. — Martin County High School senior Colin Horn is a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winner.
The National Merit Scholarship announced May 11 that Horn was chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program.
National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
“You either win or learn, and the more you learn, the more you win,” Horn said Monday after receiving the news.
Horn has been a leader on the academic team throughout his high school career, serving as captain and winning several district, regional and state awards. He has also been a member of the baseball and golf teams, FCA, student council, Beta and drama clubs, and is active in the community with the Inez First Baptist Youth Group and UPIKE Upward Bound.
Horn’s cumulative weighted GPA is 4.6 and his ACT score is 34.
Scholars can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university. Horn plans to use his at the University of Kentucky this fall, where he will major in mechanical engineering.
“Hopefully, I’ll get a master’s in business administration after that,” he said.
This week he was voted Mr. Senior, Best Leader and Most Likely to Succeed by his classmates.
“Martin County has invested in me in countless ways for 18 years,” said Horn. “Now it’s my turn — my turn to pay the dividends on those investments. I hope that my achievements have and will continue to prove those investments to be worth it.”
Horn is the son of Jimmy and Mary Lynn Horn of Inez. His father described him as a diligent, confident, hard worker who likes reading self-help books.
“He is a passionate person,” Jimmy Horn said. “Once he sets his mind on something, he is all in.”
Horn’s journey in the National Merit Scholarship Program began in his junior year when he took the PSAT, which served as an initial screen for the program. Last fall, he was among high-scoring participants in each state, representing less than 1 percent of the nation’s high school seniors, named semifinalists on a state-representational basis. From the semifinalist group, he met very high academic standards and other requirements to advance to the finalist level.