Otto earns National Merit honors
Posted on: Sep 20, 2022
John Otto has distinguished himself as an outstanding student before, but his latest accomplishment might be the biggest of all.
The Delano High School senior is among fewer than 1% of seniors nationwide who have been named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program.
“All Delano High School is really proud of John and the work that he has put in over the last number of years,” said DHS Principal Barry Voight. “He takes challenging courses and takes pride in his work. This is an elite honor.”
Nationally, 16,000 students were chosen as semifinalists after taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. In February, those who submit detailed academic records, write an essay, receive a recommendation from a staff member, and earn sufficient ACT or SAT scores will become finalists who compete for around 7,250 National Merit Scholarships.
Otto is the fourth DHS senior in the last six years to be named a semifinalist. Previous honorees were Campbell Logan in 2021, and Seth Thoelke and John Weber in 2016-17.
“I had looked at all the scoring ranges and the predictions for where the line would be drawn for the applicants and I was hoping I would be in that group, but it was still a surprise,” said Otto, who found out that he was a semifinalist while at the State Fair serving as one of just 22 Minnesota 4-H State Ambassadors – the highest level of leadership a student can reach through 4-H.
Otto said his favorite current class is Principles of Engineering, and his favorite subjects overall are math and science.
“What I really like about math – especially this last year after I took Calc – is how everything connects,” Otto said. “If you can figure out the basics of it, if you know your algebra and trigonometry, you can pretty much figure out the rest of it. You still need help from the teacher, obviously, but that’s what I enjoy about it. It all makes sense; it all connects.”
Chemistry and and physical science are Otto’s favorite branches of science.
“There is the math aspect of them, which I like, but there are also the applications to the broader world and how it can help you understand everything else,” he said. “Learning in chemistry how aspirin is made and how it affects your body, for example – now I can understand that at the chemical level.”
In addition to his rare honors from the National Merit Scholarship Program and with 4-H, Otto also scored a 35 on his ACT. He credited DHS math teacher Mandy Weinandt and science teachers Stephen Schaack and Karen Hohenstein for helping him to excel academically. As a younger student at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic School, Otto said teachers Sherry Carroll and Sheila Barth were particularly influential.
Outside of the classroom, Otto runs for the cross country and track teams, serves as president of the DHS National Honor Society, and competes in Science Olympiad.
How does he manage to consistently perform at such a high level academically? Otto said his grandpa’s baseball advice from years ago has carried well beyond the diamond.
“He always told me, ‘Keep your eye on the ball.’ I feel like that applies to more than just baseball,” Otto said. “It’s everything, having that focus, being able to get stuff done on time. If you can get something done on time and you can understand how it happened, it’s so much easier to do everything else. Tests aren’t designed to be that hard. They’re only designed to show what you’ve learned. It’s a chance to prove that you’ve learned that through your focus. That’s the way I’ve always looked at it.”
Next fall Otto plans to attend college to study mechanical or agricultural engineering. He hasn’t picked a destination yet, but is looking at engineering programs mainly in the Midwest. He also has not yet targeted a specific career, but will be looking to determine that focus in the next four years.
“There are so many experiences in college that point you toward those kinds of things, but I know I’ve never really wanted to work behind a desk,” Otto said. “I like to be outside. I like to talk to people. So I think especially with agricultural engineering, the chances of finding something along those lines is pretty good. I’ve always been really interested in that.”
Wherever he decides to go, Voight said Otto has the foundational skills and the track record he needs to succeed.
“He has an impressive transcript. He obviously has a tradition of success, and he’s committed to his own development,” said Voight. “John demonstrates the Tiger Way, specifically that excellence component, so we’re really proud of him.”
Otto is the son of Kevin and Elizabeth Otto of Delano.
Post Categories: High School