In July 2023, the State of Idaho announced the 2023 National Merit Scholars. National Merit Scholars are students who have demonstrated they are academically exceptional. Of the 2023 list of Merit Scholars, Idaho is home to 42 of them. These outstanding 42 students are just a glimpse of the excellence and promise Idaho can expect to see in our next generation of citizens.
Of the 42 Merit Scholars calling Idaho their home, IDLA can claim 33 of them! Thirty-three of these exceptional students completed at least one IDLA course. Our Merit Scholar completing the most IDLA courses took 15!
Does this mean that completing IDLA courses makes you more likely to become a National Merit Scholar? You could interpret the data that way, and we’d be ok with it. But, no, these students earned this accomplishment through their hard work.
What makes us proud, though, is these 33 students range from schools large and small across the state. Sure, there are large schools like Boise High School, Timberline High School, and Rocky Mountain High School represented on the list. But also represented are Cambridge High School and Emmett High School. Students from urban and rural communities can excel, and IDLA plays a part in that.
Through the online opportunities IDLA provides, all students enrolled in a public school in Idaho have equitable access to learning. Whether students are looking for a course their school does not offer or need a class due to a teacher shortage in their district, IDLA equals the playing field. This we do take credit for, and it is also something we take pride in. Idaho Code 55-3302 established IDLA as the state virtual school to provide “choice, accessibility, flexibility, quality, and equity in curricular opportunities for students in this state.” We are proud to fill this role in the state and will continue to do so.
Urban or rural, IDLA is here to serve all students across the state. We congratulate all of Idaho’s 2023 National Merit Scholars! Keep learning, keep working, and keep making an impact. We can’t wait to see what you do!
