Senior Spotlight: Congratulations Kira Romberg (Grade 12) on becoming a National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalist!

We are delighted to announce that Kira Romberg (SRS Class of 2022) has qualified as a Semifinalist in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Competition, one of only 112 Semifinalists in Nevada!

Kira's top score on the PSAT/NMSQT last October has placed her in the highest tier (upper 99th percentile) of all participants nationally, so she is now eligible to apply for Finalist status and multiple college scholarship award opportunities. To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, Semifinalists must advance to Finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and all other qualifications explained in these Requirements and Instructions for Semifinalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. More information about the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Competition can be found here and a link to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's website can be found here.

Congratulations, again, Kira! We wish you continued success in this scholarship competition! 

Read more about Kira's time here at Sage Ridge School below!

When Kira Romberg’s family considered moving to Reno, they chose Sage Ridge because they felt that it offers the best educational opportunity in northern Nevada. Kira started at Sage Ridge in 7th grade, and her teachers noticed that she had already developed a strong sense of who she was and what her priorities are. Kira’s focus and self-confidence have helped her to forge her own unique path as a student at Sage Ridge, and this year, she is one of only 112 students in Nevada to be named a semifinalist in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Competition. 

While Kira found the transition from public school to Sage Ridge to be “really weird,” her middle school teachers remember her being able to engage fully in the new environment from the very beginning. In public school, Kira explains, you have to find your friends; at Sage Ridge, her classmates became friends without effort. As a senior, Kira is happy with the dynamics in her class of 17 students. “I look forward to discussions with my classmates,” Kira says, as she thinks about her peers. This year’s Outdoor Education trip was Kira’s favorite (the seniors traveled earlier in September): “Kayaking was hard, for sure, but I don’t think I’ve ever laughed harder. I remember telling stories at dinner and laughing at something that Gil said, or trying to paddle the kayak with Devin but laughing so hard that Devin had to yell at me to keep going. That’s something that I definitely enjoy about my class -  I feel like I’m laughing all the time.”

Kira has done a little (or a lot) of everything that Sage Ridge has to offer. She has played on the school’s soccer, track and field, and ski teams and has competed at the state level in both track and field and skiing. She competed in Speech and Debate and earned big wins with Aryan Shukla ‘19. Kira served as the Stage Manager for Lend Me a Tenor in the winter of 2018 and participated in the Nevada State Thespian Festival 2019. She found her niche with Junior Classical League and Mock Trial. Kira currently serves as the President of Nevada chapter of the JCL and is the most senior member on the state board. She is a founding member of the school’s Mock Trial team, is team captain, and competes as Lead Attorney. Through Mock Trial, she has developed a passion for politics, world news, and public speaking. Kira is considering studying Political Science or law beyond Sage Ridge: “I’m not sure I would have had an interest in law before Mock Trial.” In 2021, she was named Outstanding Attorney at the Northern Nevada Regionals and Outstanding Attorney at the Nevada State Competition. 

Aside from taking advantage of all the opportunities Sage Ridge has to offer, she has served the school in leadership roles as well. Kira has been a student government representative for all four years of high school and enjoys helping and collaborating on events. She was a member of the Honor Council in 10th grade. For a second year, she’ll lend her perspective to the Prefecture, where she courageously provides feedback to administrators in an effort to improve the school community.

Aside from being named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist, Kira has been an AP Scholar with Distinction and has excelled in her coursework at Sage Ridge. She appreciates Mr. Johnston for helping her to achieve genuine understanding of math concepts. “I don’t think I’ve ever understood how math fits together so well. It’s not just memorization any more.”  Latin has been a particular favorite of Kira’s. She especially enjoys Dr. Simms’ classes: “We get to put Latin to real use, and he manages to relate Latin to what we see in modern media.” The collaborative nature of Latin classes gives her a chance to engage with her peers while benefiting from Dr. Simms’ support:. “We focus on translation and read things that are fun,” she says. “We can piece it all together ourselves at this point, and he helps with grammar concepts we don’t know.” 

In his fourth year of working with Kira, Dr. Simms reflects, “She is, without question, one of the most fearless, compassionate, and self-possessed students I have known. She champions goodness and decency; everyone should want to be on her team.” We are grateful to have Kira on the Scorpion team and confident knowing that wherever she ends she will make a positive, lasting contribution to her community.