On Thursday, the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District announced 41 high school seniors had been recognized as National Merit Finalists, an honor awarded to less than 1% of students nationwide who demonstrate exceptional academic ability, leadership and extracurricular involvement.
One particularly notable finalist is Kyle Eldridge, a senior at Los Gatos High School, who is considered legally blind.
Due to a rare genetic disorder, Eldridge started experiencing poor eyesight while in third grade.
“Despite the challenges of navigating a world designed for those with sight, Kyle has excelled academically, scoring a near perfect score of 1580 on his SATs, mastering incredible time management to overcome his demanding coursework and homework, and thriving as a member of Los Gatos High School’s robotics team, Iron Claw 972,” a District spokesperson wrote in a release.
Eldridge’s mother recalled her initial concerns about Kyle beginning high school.
“I was worried about him navigating the large campus,” she said in the release, noting Los Gatos High School’s varied elevation and multi-story buildings.
Administration officials said Kyle’s “remarkable memory” and “determination” has allowed him to memorize the campus, including classroom locations, each year.
“He’s a shining example for our special education department and outside service providers who help make his success possible,” said guidance counselor Louis Rich. “For me, Kyle is one of the most inspirational students I have ever worked with.”
This year, Kyle is taking five Advanced Placement (AP) classes. He uses a video magnifier to see the class whiteboard and relies on accommodations such as large print materials.
Eldridge has been able to overcome unique obstacles caused by low vision, as he is self-disciplined and organized, a skill set he developed independently, school officials said, adding he’s aiming for a computer science major.
“Kyle has shown incredible resilience, and whenever he encounters an obstacle, he finds a solution,” his mom said. “I am so grateful for the staff here at Los Gatos HS, CT Middle School, and Loma Prieta Elementary who have really rallied around him to support his academic journey.”
The District’s other National Merit Finalists are:
Shaurya Banjara (LGHS) Katherine Berger (SHS) Akshat Bora (SHS) Rebecca Bossow (SHS) Aiden M. Chen (SHS) Richard Chung (SHS) Leo Dai (LGHS) Arshia Desarkar (SHS) Hayden Fu (SHS) Kirby Fung (SHS) Kevin Gan (LGHS) Sarah Gechlik (SHS) Leonardo Jia (SHS) Rohan Jones (LGHS) Nicole Lee (SHS) Timothy Leung (SHS) Sydney Li (SHS) Grace Liu (SHS) Alan Lu (SHS) Skyler Mao (SHS) Jack Mei (LGHS) Aryeh Ohriner (LGHS) Ruhan Periyacheri (SHS) Tatum Pyle (LGHS) Saira Ramakrishnan (SHS) Tarun Ramakrishnan (SHS) Rosa Sahandi (LGHS) Daniel Schwartz (SHS) Tanav Shankar (LGHS) Ria Sharma (LGHS) Tanuj K. Siripurapu (SHS) Angela Tan (SHS) Alexander Vash-Munoz (SHS) Andrae Wan (SHS) Brandon Wang (SHS) Timothy Wei (SHS) Sora A. Wongsonegoro (SHS) Luke Zhang (SHS) Julius Zhou (SHS) Jeremy Zhou (SHS).
“These students exemplify academic excellence, perseverance, and dedication, and we congratulate them on this well-deserved honor,” the LGSUHSD spokesperson added.
