Mandy Bacon
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Of these 16,000 students from across the nation who received this high honor, two are seniors at Chattanooga Christian School, Mandy Bacon and Elise May.
Ms. Bacon is the daughter of Mike and Tammy Bacon, both of whom are teachers at CCS and Hilger Higher Learning respectively. Ms. Bacon entered CCS in first grade and quickly became deeply involved in the life of the school.
In addition to playing varsity soccer and running on the varsity track team, she serves with a ready smile as a global ambassador for the International Student Program and is a member of the Spanish Honor Society and the Recycling Club. Says Ms. Bacon of her CCS experience, “I like that there is a large variety of clubs and extracurricular activities you can join and that the teachers work to actually challenge us.”
With a list of favorite classes including calculus, physics, personal finance, and design II, it’s no surprise that Ms. Bacon is considering a major in engineering, actuarial sciences, genetics, or medical research, to name a few. She has applied to Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Tennessee Tech, Covenant College, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and more. Wherever she lands, she is looking forward to the increased freedom and more friendships that will come from living on campus.
Ms. May is the daughter of CCS alumnus Frank May (‘93) and alumna Gina Krabbendam (‘90) who was named a National Merit finalist in 1990. A CCS student since second grade, Ms. May is particularly interested in economics and has developed an appreciation and aptitude for ceramics. Her favorite classes at CCS—physics, geometry, economics and ceramics—have piqued her interested in pursuing a degree in economics or architecture at the University of Georgia, Vanderbilt, University of Utah, Duke University or University College London, where she is looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing new environments.
Ms. May reflects on what she appreciates about CCS, stating, “The teachers are always there and willing to help, and I always feel as though they care about my learning as well as the topics they are teaching.” As a member of JSA (Junior State of America), The Charger newspaper staff and the Recycling Club, her teachers say Ms. May has blessed the CCS community with her quiet, confident service.
"Chattanooga Christian School happily congratulates Mandy and Elise on their achievements. It is a joy to see our students thrive as they develop and use their gifts and talents," officials said.
Elise May