With more interests than she can count on one hand, Warwick Valley High School senior Meghan Tennant has mastered the art of balance. This school year, she added another impressive achievement to her ever-growing list: earning a perfect score on the math section of the PSAT. The accomplishment means she is one of five students in the Class of 2026 named Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Corp.
Each year, more than 1.5 million students take the PSAT nationwide, and only about 34,000 earn Commended status – placing Tennant in the top 3-4% of test takers.
“I was very happy about that,” she said. “It’s definitely one of the things I’m most proud of.”
To call her academic accomplishment impressive would be an understatement, it’s still only one piece of a much larger picture. Throughout her high school career, Tennant has balanced a demanding course load with a wide range of extracurricular commitments. She is an active member of several academic clubs, including Math Team, Orange County Academic League (OCAL), Mu Alpha Theta and National Honor Society. She is also involved in Spanish Club, earning her Seal of Biliteracy last year.
Competing on the WVHS Math Team and with OCAL has been a major highlight of her high school experience, especially because it allows her to share her favorite subject with friends.
“So my favorite subject is math – always has been,” she said. “Competing on those teams has been really fun, and a few of my friends joined with me this past year. Even the bus rides are fun.”
That sense of camaraderie has motivated Tennant and her teammates as they look ahead to the competition season this year.
“Last year we were pretty good, but we didn’t make it as far as we hoped,” she said. “This year, with more seniors on the team, we’re hoping to go further.”
Her strength in math was also recognized beyond the classroom last year, when she received the RPI Math and Science Award – the same honor her father earned at WVHS 36 years ago.
“I knew I was getting an award, but I didn’t know what it was for until they announced my name,” she said. “It was a really cool moment – it made my mom cry.”
Outside of academics, Tennant has found meaningful ways to apply her language skills. This past summer, she traveled abroad with her mom to France, England and Italy, putting her Spanish to use after earning her Seal of Biliteracy last year.
She also continues to practice and share that skill as a member of Spanish Club at WVHS, where she helps teach Spanish lessons to elementary students.
“I really enjoy being involved [in Spanish Club],” she said. “We go into kindergarten and fourth grade classrooms and teach Spanish lessons. I’m going to civil engineering in college, and I’m considering a minor in Spanish. I’d also love to study abroad in Spain.”
Tennant is also a dedicated athlete, playing varsity softball at WVHS and competing with a traveling club team, the OC Bombers. Softball has been a constant in her life for the past 13 years, and while she doesn’t plan to play in college, it remains an important part of who she is.
“I’m applying to mostly Division I schools, and I want to focus on my academics,” she said. “But I’d still like to play on a club team or do something active – just to stay healthy. It’s definitely going to be a big adjustment.”
With senior year flying by, Tennant is taking time to reflect on the moments she has left.
“All of my ‘lasts’ — last prom, last softball season — that’s going to be hard,” she said. “I just want to cherish the time I have left with my friends before we all go our separate ways.”
Looking back, one of the things she said she feels most proud of is learning how to manage it all.
“I’ve really learned how to balance my studies with my social life and everything else,” Tennant said. “When things get hard or overwhelming, I plan things out. I have a journal where I write down everything I need to do, and that habit has really helped me throughout high school.”