Poplar Bluff High School has produced a National Merit Scholarship candidate for the first time in several years.

Jack Funke, a senior, is one of more than 16,000 semifinalists of the 70th annual NMS program based on his Preliminary SAT score from last year, the not-for-profit recently announced.

A well-rounded student, the Counseling Department agrees, Jack not only has excelled intellectually, serving as varsity captain of the Academic Team, but he has experienced success in band, theater and athletics as well as outside of school in Scouting.

“As a Scholar Bowl member, Jack began to earn the respect of the most capable members by being able to intelligently discuss such things as the ethics of experiments by Zimbardo, the value of absurdist works like ‘Waiting for Godot,’ or the artistic merit of Malevich’s Suprematism,” PBHS Science Department chair Gail Karlish wrote in a letter of recommendation. “...Because of Jack’s knowledge and playing prowess, the after-school practices morphed for a time into everyone versus Jack.”

As a freshman captain, Jack led the junior varsity team to first place in a combined tournament, defeating each varsity team left in the winner's bracket, explained Karlish, also the Scholar Bowl coach. “The recent practices have featured him reading the questions, offering light-hearted teaching moments, and incorporating ‘the great mystery question’ which might suddenly multiply the points,” the teacher continued.

On top of never earning a grade below an A, Jack was accepted into the Missouri Scholars Academy at the University of Missouri; he is currently the head of the keyboard pit crew in the Sho-Me Marching Band and earned a chair in the wind ensemble each year; successfully tried out for a lead role in the Drama Club’s “Get Smart;” achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow; and has competed as a long-distance runner for the Cross-Country team.

As part of his scholarship application, Jack attributed his willingness to pursue theater and music to his supportive parents always encouraging him to experience new things in order to help him grow. He further credits his thirst for knowledge beyond the classroom to Matt and Jennifer Funke regularly reading to him from a young age.

“They’ve always encouraged me to do my best at everything,” writes Jack, who plans to study political science and government in college. “They’ve helped me out when I needed it, and they shared with me plenty of documentaries, non-fiction books and travel to help me learn more outside of school. They’ve pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone.”

Of the semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to finalists later in the winter. The gifted students will then compete for 6,870 scholarships worth approximately $26 million in spring, between the organization itself, corporate sponsorships and universities recruiting directly. PBHS last had a Merit Scholar in alumnus Adeesh Mishra in 2018, according to district records.

In addition to Jack’s prestigious designation, senior Paden Thornton was named a commended student for the “exceptional academic promise” she demonstrated for scoring among the top 50,000 highest performers on the PSAT. Throughout her high school career, Paden has participated in band, earning a gold performance rating and a chair on the wind ensemble her very first year, plus has been an active member of the Environmental, Interact and Beta clubs. She plans to study wildlife biology as an undergraduate and become a conservationist.

“Those being named commended students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” reads a press release from the organization. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”

Over 1.3 million juniors from 21,000 high schools entered the NMS program by taking the 2023 qualifying test. Since the program’s establishment in 1955, over 3.5 million students have been recognized, and 470,000 scholarships worth over $1.8 billion have been awarded. According to the NMS website, its mission, in part, is to stimulate increased support from individuals and organizations that wish to sponsor scholarships for outstanding scholastic talent.

###

Cutline: Jack Funke and Paden Thornton are recognized by guidance counselor Adam Moeller and Dr. Valerie Ivy, PBHS principal, on Thursday, Oct. 10.