MHS Senior Taylor Lewis Named National Merit Commended Student

BY KRISTI FISH | MIRROR REPORTER — Maumee High School senior Taylor Lewis is a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student.

Taylor received a perfect score on the math portion of the preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, or PSAT, resulting in a total score of 1440.

MHS principal Scott Perrotte and athletic director Cam Coutcher recently came to Taylor’s homeroom to present him with the letter and the good news.

The recognition and appreciation from his family and the staff was nice, he said.

“It’s nice to be recognized because I did study a lot for this,” Taylor said. “For the actual PSAT, I had a whole lot of practice.”

Math has always been a major interest for Taylor, but he still knew he needed to prepare for the exam, both the math section and the reading and writing section.

He took a course offered through Maumee High School, Prep for Success/ ACT/PSAT, that he knows assisted him in his achievement.

“We have a good program here. I had Mrs. Cameron and Mr. Stanton as my PSAT prep teachers,” Taylor noted.

With the help of those teachers, Taylor spent much of the fall of 2022 preparing for the test through his class.

In addition to the course, Taylor said all of his teachers at Maumee High School have helped him prepare for his future.

“Here at school, Mrs. Naragon has helped me a lot in terms of what college is like, what to expect and what can I do to be ready,” Taylor said. “I think Mrs. Drage has also helped me out a lot as well. She challenges us a lot and it’s really helpful.”

His chemistry teacher Kati O’Keefe and English teacher Dawn Mericle have also helped him throughout high school and with the college application process, he added.

“I don’t want to leave anyone out. The past four years, I have never had a teacher I’ve disliked. I’ve genuinely liked all of my teachers,” Taylor said.

In addition to his teachers, Maumee High School soccer coach Chad Kain has taught him a lot both in the sport and about life.

“He has always had very high expectations of everyone, and I think that’s taught both me and my teammates a lot about discipline,” Taylor said. “He has made me better as a person and a soccer player.”

Considering the season the soccer team is having right now, it’s been an exciting time for Taylor and his teammates, so he’s wanted to dedicate as much time as he can to the sport and enjoying the moment.

He’s learned over time how to balance his time between athletics and academics, so he can give as much as possible to each part of his high school experience.

“I’ve been on varsity for four years, so I’ve always known what the workload is for soccer,” Taylor said.

Over time, his classes have added to the workload, but he’s learned what works best for him in time management.

“I always think of it as, ‘What do I need to do before tomorrow?’ and I would do that stuff first. Then I would say ‘What do I want to get done by the end of the week?’ and if I had time, I would work on that,” Taylor explained.

That method might not work for everyone, but striking a balance between academics, athletics, employ-ment and fun is necessary, he said.

He advises each student to develop a plan that works best for them and keeps them on track toward their own goals.

It’s important to have support throughout the process, too.

His parents, who have shown him the value of academics, have taught him and his sisters, Emily and Natalie, how to prepare for the future.

“They’ve helped me a lot in preparing and being responsible with deadlines,” Taylor said.

Additionally, his older sister Emily has been a big help for him as he finalizes college applications and prepares to leave Maumee. 

“When it comes to college applications, my older sister has probably helped me the most. She really knows her way around college applications and helped me figure out the common application process,” Taylor said.

Taylor has already been accepted to The University of Toledo, with applications underway for several other universities.

“Math has always been my thing … but last year, I took AP chemistry and I liked it so much that it made me look more toward a science career,” Taylor said. “Now, I want to do chemical engineering, which is a nice mix of what I like in chemistry and math.”

Now that some of his major tests are out of the way, Taylor is ready to enjoy his senior year before he leaves Maumee.