Colton High “Fact of the Day” – Apr. 20

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In 1983, Rachel Williams became the 2nd CHS student to be named a semi-finalist for the National Merit Scholarship.

Colton High School opened in 1895. It is one of the oldest high schools in the Inland Empire. In this daily feature, we celebrate Colton High’s rich history.

On October 28, 1983, senior Rachel Williams was named a PSAT semi-finalist for the National Merit Scholarship. She was the only student selected from Colton High from 100 students who took the exam during Fall of their junior year.

Williams was the second Colton High student to receive this honor. In 1972, Stan Hino also made the semi-finals.

The National Merit Scholarship program was established in 1955 to “identify and honor scholastically talented American youth and to encourage them to develop their abilities to the fullest.” In 1983, over a million students entered the competition from 18,000 secondary schools to win a $2,500 scholarship. Only 16,000 students were selected as semi-finalists, making Williams’ achievement quite impressive.

According to the Pepper Bough, Williams ranked 5th in her graduation class with a grade point average of 3.96.