News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Steve Sheridan, left, Thomas Sheridan, center, and Meredith Sheridan pose for a photo at Alpena High School on Wednesday. Thomas Sheridan is a semifinalist in the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The finalists will be announced in February and winners announced in phases beginning in April and ending in July.

ALPENA — Ever since grade school, Thomas Sheridan has always dedicated himself to his studies.

His dedication to school paid off recently when Sheridan — an Alpena High School senior — was named a semifinalist in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. He is one of approximately 16,000 students from around the country to have a chance at 7,500 scholarships worth nearly $30 million.

Sheridan has a grade-point average higher than 4.0 because of the advanced classes he takes. Sheridan said it’s an honor to place so high, and hopes he can advance again when the field is trimmed to about 15,000 students.

To earn a place as a semifinalist, a student must have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the results of a qualifying test.

Sheridan said he likes school and has always done well. He is preparing to attend college at either Michigan Tech University or the University of Michigan in the field of either mechanical engineering or aerospace engineering.

He said ever since he attended grade school, he has worked hard to get good grades. He said he enjoys school, and his favorite subjects are math and science. He admitted, although he knew he scored high, he was somewhat shocked when Principal Romeo Bourdage called him into the office and told him the news about being a semifinalist.

He credited the Alpena Public Schools system, his teachers, family, and friends for their support.

“I have had some fantastic teachers from elementary school through high school,” he said.

To achieve such high marks, Sheridan does his share of studying, but, like other kids his age, he has many interests outside of the classroom.

He is involved in the Alpena Youth Sailing Club, where he competes, and instructs younger children on Yngling sailboats and runs cross country. He also is on the drive team for the school’s robotics team.

“I also built my own computer,” he added.

Sheridan isn’t the only one in his family to succeed academically. His father, Steve, is a physician, and his mother, Meredith — who also was a semifinalist in the Merit Scholarship Program in the 1990s — is a dentist.

Bourdage said being named a semifinalist is a great honor for Sheridan, one that carries a lot of weight when applying for admission at universities.

“You basically just signed up for a Division I school academically and this is what we treasure at our school. Students who are involved in multiple activities, who understand what commitment is, not only to just family and community, but also to the schools,” he said. “His education is a value to him and I think that is represented in the hard work that he does and how involved he is in the community.”

Sheridan will learn if he becomes a finalist in February, and the winners will be announced in phases next year beginning in April and concluding in July.