By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – By any measure, Thompson High School’s Emma Fell has seen plenty of success in her life.

As a drum major for the school’s Marching Southern Sounds band for the past two years, Fell has had plenty of leadership experience, and has a lengthy list of academic honors to match.

On April 11, the Alabaster Board of Education spotlighted Fell for one of her biggest accomplishments yet.

“This is every exciting. National Merit Finalist designations are awarded to only 15,000 students nationwide each year,” said ACS Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships founded in 1955.

To qualify, high school students take the preliminary SAT or National Merit Scholarship qualifying test, which serves as an initial screen of about 1.5 million entrants annually. Students also must meet certain program entry and participation requirements.

Over the past several months, Fell worked her way through the National Merit ranks, first being named a semifinalist and then a finalist earlier this year.

In addition to her National Merit honor and time spent leading the Marching Southern Sounds, Fell also is a member of the National Honor Society Mu Alpha Theta, National Spanish Honor Society and the THS Honor Roll.

She has been a member of the THS wind ensemble since 2012, where she is the first-chair horn.

Fell participated in Honor Band of America in 2014 and 2015, the 2015 Honors Performance Series Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and was a member of the Alabama District Four Honor Band in 2013 and 2015.

She was awarded Top Honor Ensemble at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Festival Band Competition in 2012, 2013 and 2014. She participated in Festival Band Competitions at Auburn University from 2013-2015 and the University of Montevallo in 2014-2015.

Fell holds the rank of ambassador with Girl Scout Troop 180, and has earned Bronze and Silver awards from the Girl Scouts of America. She plans to attend Troy University beginning next fall, and has been named a valedictorian for this year’s THS graduating class.