Armand Shakeri, a senior at Vintage High School, has been recognized as a National Merit Finalist.
"Shakeri has excelled academically, maintaining a 4.8 GPA throughout high school," said a news release.
In addition to his academic achievements, Shakeri is the co-founder of his high school's backpacking club, where he has organized several overnight backpacking trips. Shakeri has also been playing the tombak, a traditional Persian percussion instrument, for five years. He is starting his fourth season of varsity tennis at Vintage.
Shakeri's passion lies in design and architecture, which he plans on studying in college. He has studied art with Nick Cann and his interest in art and architecture since a young age led him to a summer internship with world-renowned architect Frank Gehry in Los Angeles. Armand plans to be an architect focusing on socially conscious buildings and environmentally responsible design.