Crosby, TX (September 26, 2022) – Congratulations to the Crosby High School student who just made his mark in the academic world. Senior Spencer Mendez has been named a Commended Student in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program, a national academic competition for high school students.

Spencer qualified for the National Merit Program by achieving an impressive score on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Although he will not continue in the 2023 competition, as a Commended Student, Spencer placed among the top 50,000 highest-scoring students to be recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Spencer said, “You don’t need to have a ton of resources, because I can do it here. Going above and beyond will get you farther than you think.”

This is just the most recent honor for Spencer. He is a third-generation bassoon player. Last summer, Spencer was selected to perform as First Chair in the Texas 5A All-State Symphonic Band, the highest honor for a Texas high school music student. Spencer has big plans after he graduates as a member of the Class of 2023. He’ll spend the next few months auditioning for music performance programs at UT-Austin and Rice University. After that, Spencer says his dream is to tour with an ensemble around Europe.

The staff at Crosby High School celebrated Spencer’s latest academic achievement with a ceremony this week. Principal, Mr. Jason Davila, said, “Crosby High School and all of Crosby ISD could not be prouder of Spencer’s accomplishments. He is the perfect example of a multi-skilled student. He excels in math and music. He is currently taking college level courses in physics and calculus, as part of our MECA (Modified Early College Academy) program at San Jacinto College. He’s also an amazing bassoon player, and he even learned to play the alto saxophone so he could march with the Crosby High School band. I don’t think there’s anything Spencer can’t do. We are so proud of him.”