Uintah High School graduate Eoin O'Hearn has been selected as one of 3,100 seniors nationwide to receive a college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship.
Eoin's scholarship is sponsored by the University of Alabama.
Eoin graduated Friday, May 28, with the Class of 2021, finishing an outstanding career at Uintah High with a cumulative 4.0 GPA. He also scored a perfect 36 on the ACT, was the Mathematics Sterling Scholar for the state's Northeast Region and earned Academic All-State honors in football and soccer.
"Eoin is the kind of kid you wish you could keep forever," Uintah High Principal Sharon Shipton said. "He's smart, funny, cares about others and finds ways to lift up those around him. He's academically gifted and freely shares his gift with others without seeking praise or credit."
During third trimester, Eoin tutored two English as a Second Language students in math, helping them meet their graduation requirements. He described it as one of his proudest moments.
"I've been given a gift and that's all good, but I think a bigger part of life and a better purpose for me is the impact I can have on those around me, to help them learn," Eoin said.
He said he's always had a knack for math and "loves how well it can explain everything."
"One of my teachers started class with a quote from Galileo, 'Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe,'" Eoin said. "Math is the basis for all other sciences. It fills me with fascination."
Eoin said his fascination with math taught him to apply himself, to tackle different types of problems, and to figure out what was being asked of him and how to get to the answer. Those skills, coupled with lessons learned in his ACT Prep class at Uintah High, helped Eoin earn the PSAT score that qualified him for a National Merit Scholarship.
"I would like to thank Ms. Baker, Mrs. Colton, Mr. Madsen, and Mrs. Maxwell for their help with the ACT Prep class that prepared me for the PSAT,” he said, adding that the class taught him how to pace himself during the test and how to better understand the questions.
Eoin will attend the University of Alabama in the fall, where he plans to study mathematics.