Two Seniors Earn National Merit Finalist Honors

After learning of their semifinalist status in September, seniors Thibaut Fabricant and Malcolm Ferguson have now earned National Merit Finalist honors, as announced by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Fabricant and Ferguson are two of 15,000 students – in a pool that started with nearly 1.3 million – from across the country to earn this recognition. In tandem with an application, the program analyzes students’ performance on the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT), which is taken in conjunction with the PSAT during junior year.

“Congratulations to Thibaut and Malcolm on earning this impressive distinction of being National Merit Finalists,” Principal Neil Begley ’96 said. “Both young men have dedicated themselves to their academics during their time at CBA and this honor is a testament to that hard work. We celebrate their achievement and are confident that their success will continue in their collegiate studies and future careers.”

When Fabricant and Ferguson earned semifinalist status in the fall, they were among the top 16,000 of 1.3 million students who took the 2021 PSAT/NMSQT. As finalists, they remain in the running to receive one of 7,500 National Merit Scholarships, which will be announced later this spring.

“I am extremely honored to achieve the distinction,” Fabricant said. “Having spent hours perfecting my application, I was thrilled to see that my hard work on this application–and throughout high school–had been recognized and awarded. Being accepted as a Finalist also eased my burden a bit, as I wait to hear back from colleges in late March, since it has left one less thing to worry about.”

Both young men have remained at the top of the Class of 2023 throughout their CBA careers. They understand the commitment they made when attending the Academy and enrolling in some of the most stringent courses offered.

“CBA’s atmosphere has definitely contributed a lot in helping me succeed,” Ferguson said. “Certain teachers, such as Mr. Dashkavich, Mr. Frake, and Dr. Gus have developed a classroom environment that has made them very approachable when you have questions about the curriculum, and easy to have conversations about other things when you need to forget about school for a bit. Other factors, such as the friendly competition between classmates, has really helped me succeed. I think that it’s the combination of being surrounded by both peers and teachers that will support you and always be willing to help out that has really allowed me to succeed academically.”

In September, 15 additional CBA seniors were recognized as National Commended Scholars after placing in the top-four percent of the students who took the 2021 NMSQT.

The National Merit Scholarship program began in 1955 with the stated purpose of recognizing and honoring academically students in America. The program’s mission includes both promoting a wider and deeper respect for learning in general and for exceptionally talented individuals in particular and shining a spotlight on brilliant students to encourage their pursuit of academic excellence at all levels of education.

About Christian Brothers Academy:
Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) is a private, Catholic, academic preparatory school for boys located in Lincroft, New Jersey. Founded in 1959 and taught in the Lasallian tradition, CBA is dedicated to helping students become intellectually mature and morally responsible leaders for society. Through generous contributions from family and friends of the Academy, CBA awards over $1.7 million in scholarships and financial aid to current students. Experience the Academy at CBALincroftNJ.org.