Congratulations to Brendan O’Brien, Jefferson Award finalist, and Ben Warren, Presidential Award finalist, for being nominated for these two prestigious awards!
The Jefferson Award recognizes Brendan O’Brien ’12 for being in the top 5 percent of the country, having a high SAT score, and presenting
a large amount of leadership. To receive this honor, a student must write essays, answer questions in a strenuous interview process, and receive favorable recommendations from valued sources.
In the interview process, which took place at the University of Virginia, O’Brien had to appear in front of a panel of judges and respond to various questions about a multitude of topics, including leadership, the challenges our generation will face, and the partisan gridlock in Congress.
Over the past years, Jesuit has had only 15 students nominated for the Jefferson Award, yet O’Brien is the first finalist. The winner of the Jefferson Award receives a full scholarship to the prestigious University of Virginia.
Brendan believes that the main reason he represents Jesuit as a finalist is his spectacular display of leadership: he held the positions of president at both the UIL Math Club and Jesuit ESPN, as well as being yearbook editor and an Eagle Scout.
When asked what he thought the most strenuous part of the process was, he replied that he thought the second interview was the most difficult, due to the “rapid fire” questions in addition to the mounting pressure with only five people left in the region.
When asked what being a finalist means to him, he said that it means a great deal to him because so many great and talented people have come through Jesuit, yet he is the first to attain the finalist position.
If he is admitted into the University of Virgina, following the footsteps of his older brother and father, he plans to study engineering, neuroscience, or something else that is math and science related.
The Presidential Award initially chooses from a field of 1.5 million high school seniors. From there, the field is narrowed to 3000, and then reduced further to the top 150. Each state, as well as some territories like Puerto Rico, has one boy and one girl chosen to participate in the top 150. Forty seniors are chosen from arts magnet schools for their excellent skill in various aspects of arts, such as dance, music, or painting.
Like the Jefferson Award, to qualify for the Presidential Award one needs good recommendations and essays. Finalists get to meet the President and Vice-President, and are bestowed with the title of White House Presidential Scholar. Ben Warren has become a finalist for this very prestigious award for his perfect SAT score among other accomplishments.
Ben’s first response to his accomplishment was that he “was very exited.” Before the test, he prepared like any other senior would with the PSAT. He remarked that getting a perfect score was both surprising, thrilling and humbling.
His final statement was that he thanks Jesuit for preparing him to achieve such success. If he wins the award, he wishes to go to “Stanford,” yet if he is denied admission, he has been accepted to the University of Texas, his “backup school” and hopes to study “computer science, especially business applications.”
