Mt. Pleasant, Franklin Regional, Butler seniors score scholarships in annual Saint Vincent competition

High school senior Eli Duvall’s post-secondary plans recently got a boost when he learned he’d earned a full-ride scholarship to attend Saint Vincent College in Unity.

Duvall, who attends Mt. Pleasant Area Senior High, has been awarded a scholarship covering four years of tuition, room and board, as the top scorer in the college’s 43rd annual Wimmer Scholarship competition.

“I was so shocked when I learned I won because I knew I was competing against some of the brightest students in the country,” said Duvall. “I just tried my best. It was definitely the most challenging and encompassing test I have ever taken.

“I am incredibly grateful to have won this scholarship.”

Duvall’s scholarship, valued at more than $200,000. is named after Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, the Benedictine monk from Germany who founded the college in 1846.

More than 80 students entered this most recent competition. Three others — Franklin Regional Senior High seniors Benjamin Poole and Johnathan Ciecierski, and Sylvia Luffy of Butler, a senior at the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School — achieved high scores and were awarded scholarships covering four years of tuition at Saint Vincent, valued at more than $150,000 each.

“At Saint Vincent, I am looking forward to furthering my education in the sciences,” said Duvall. He’s planning to study engineering and environmental chemistry, with a minor in Spanish, and also hopes to get involved with programs at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve, located adjacent to the college campus.

Duvall has demonstrated interest in Saint Vincent throughout his high school career and began preparing early to enter the Wimmer competition, focusing on academics and taking the SAT test early in his junior year.

“He has worked so hard, but first place was never on his radar,” said Duvall’s mother, Jamie, who is a kindergarten teacher in Hempfield Area School District.

To sit for the Wimmer competition’s written test of general knowledge, entrants must have a qualifying college entrance exam score and a grade point average of at least 3.75 or have completed at least six Advanced Placement courses and have a grade point average of 4.

A gifted education student at Mt. Pleasant Area since first grade, Duvall is treasurer of his high school’s National Honor Society chapter and the highest scorer on the school’s varsity quiz team. A member of the Spanish National Honor Society, he earned National Spanish Exam honorable mention.

He received the Council on Substance Abuse and Youth Award, participates in his school’s chess club and was named to the WPIAL 3-2A All-Section soccer team his senior year. He has lettered four years in tennis and is a volunteer youth soccer coach.

He enjoys reading, boating with his family, hiking, camping and exploring nature.

When Poole learned of his scholarship award, he said, “I was very honored and very proud of myself, for the achievement of getting one of the top high scores.”

Poole would like to major in accounting and finance and minor in history before attending law school.

“I would like to get a business background so I could become a corporate attorney,” he said, adding, “I’ve always had a passion for government. That’s something to still keep in my back pocket.”

At Franklin Regional, Poole is an AP Scholar, a National Merit Commended Student, a Trib Total Media Outstanding Young Citizen and president of the National Honor Society chapter and of Future Business Leaders of America-PA Region 11. Past president of his class, he won three regional FBLA competitions and placed at the state level.

He is an Eagle Scout, a three-year soccer letterman and is involved in youth ministry, baseball, mock trial and Helping Homebound Heroes. He is an officer in his school’s marching band, has participated in the musical and is a member of the jazz band and wind ensemble.

His roles at Murrysville’s Mother of Sorrows Roman Catholic Parish include altar server. His community service includes tutoring and helping with youth sports. He enjoys cooking, traveling, coin collecting and reading.

Ciecierski plans on studying engineering and computer science. He is a National Merit Scholarship finalist, an AP Scholar with Distinction and a member of the National Honor Society.

He also is vice president of the Science National Honor Society, treasurer of student council and a four-year lineman on the Franklin Regional football team. He serves as captain of his school’s Science Olympiad and mock trial teams and enjoys competing in game design challenges.

Ciecierski placed first in the Judo Battle Bot section of the recent Gateway Engineering Competition, won the regional Student Congress competition and was part of the National Champion Math Madness team.

He was selected to participate in Simcoach Games Summer Apprenticeship program and likes creating games to help children with special needs develop everyday life skills.

He works out at CrossFit Tantrum and is a member of Mother of Sorrows Parish, both in Murrysville.

Luffy, who is ranked fourth in her class of 436, intends to study finance in college.

She is a member of the National Honor Society and has earned the Scholar Athlete Award each year she has played high school softball. A pitcher, she helped her team to two section championships and three consecutive years of WPIAL playoffs.

She earned the statewide Outstanding Achievement Award for finance during Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week. She volunteers at her local food bank and with The Spina Bifida Association of Western Pennsylvania.