TAMIU Staggs Academy Student Makes History as First Semifinalist for National Merit Scholarship
Ishmael Mohammed’s senior year at Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) Julieta and Frank Staggs Academy of International and STEM Studies will be especially memorable. He’s the first Staggs Academy student to be named a Semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship.
As a Semifinalist, he has an opportunity to continue in the competition for one of 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million to be offered next Spring.
Dr. Mayra Peña, director of the Academy and superintendent of TAMIU Independent School District said Mohammed is an exemplary student who sets a new standard for Staggs Academy students.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Ishmael Mohammed, whose exceptional academic aptitude and dedication have earned him the prestigious status of semi-finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program. This is not just a testament to his outstanding intellect and hard work but also a historic milestone for the Staggs Academy. Ishmael exemplifies the qualities of diligence, excellence, and perseverance that we hope to see in all our students. He is an example for his peers, demonstrating that with dedication and effort, significant milestones can be achieved. His success not only reflects his abilities but also sets a new standard for future generations of students at our school,” Dr. Peña said.
The son of Raquel and Abdul Mohammed, Ishmael is excited by the National Merit opportunity that he hopes will bring him closer to the future he envisions.
“I am a proud member of Staggs Academy. I joined the Academy as a Junior and am currently a Senior getting ready for high school graduation. My plan is to attend medical school and to become an ophthalmologist to serve my local community,” he explained.
His current GPA is 4.0 and his favorite subject is the field of science, with an inclination to chemistry, he says. He also has thoughts on how he has achieved this extraordinary success.
“I credit my success to always trying to be better than I was the previous day. When I learn, I try to have fun with it rather than think of it as work,” he explained, adding future Staggs Academy students have similar potential.
“My advice to a Staggs Academy member or any other student is to find a way to enjoy the process of learning and improving yourself. This is the main motivator to keep yourself on the path of learning new things,” Mohammed said.
TAMIU’s Julieta & Frank Staggs Academy of International and STEM Studies is an innovative, University-level academy on the TAMIU campus for highly gifted and motivated high school juniors and seniors. Accepted students earn college credit while enrolled in high school, getting a head start on their University education.
Staggs Academy Information sessions are scheduled Saturday, Sept. 22, 2024; Thursday, Jan. 25, 2025; Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, and Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Find out more at https://www.tamiu.edu/coas/theacademy, email Counselor Naiely M. Saldana at naiely.saldana@tamiu.edu, call 956.326.2862, or visit offices located in Anthony J. and Georgia A. Pellegrino Hall, Suite 215.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2025 will be announced in four nationwide news
releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 382,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. It was established in 1955 to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its funds and by approximately 280 business organizations, higher education institutions, and individual donors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.
