David L. Archer President | Christian Brothers University website

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has revealed that 16,000 high school seniors have been selected as semifinalists for the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Competition. This group represents the top-performing 1% of students nationwide. Each year, around 50,000 participants receive recognition in the program, with one-third qualifying as semifinalists.

Among this year's semifinalists is Lana Jabase, a current student at Christian Brothers University (CBU), who entered the university in August as a Chemical Engineering major. She graduated early from Houston High School in Germantown, TN. "When I started high school, I didn’t realize it was possible to graduate in three years," she said. "But as soon as I found out, it became my goal."

Lana's accelerated academic path allowed her to join CBU's Class of 2027 with enough credits to start as a sophomore. Initially, CBU was not her first choice for college until her brother Abdala Jabase recommended it. Abdala is a senior Electrical & Computer Engineering major at CBU and holds leadership roles in several student organizations.

Lana shared her experience visiting CBU: "I came here to check it out and wasn’t really intending to enroll," she admitted. "But I fell in love with it." She praised the university's community and professors for their dedication and personal involvement.

Her ambitions extend beyond undergraduate studies; she plans to attend medical school after completing her degree at CBU. Her interest in medicine began at Houston High School where she founded its Medical Club and volunteered at local hospitals like Regional One Health and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

While many pre-med students choose biology-related majors, Lana believes Chemical Engineering offers an excellent foundation for understanding human body processes akin to engineering principles. It also supports fields like pharmacology and medical research.

Outside academics, Lana enjoys playing tennis and writing poetry. She expressed an interest in photography with aspirations of opening a photo gallery someday.

To advance to finalist status in the scholarship competition, Lana must complete the National Merit Scholarship Application by writing an essay. Winners will be announced in March 2025.