Student at Rutherford High in Panama City is awarded National Merit Scholarship

PANAMA CITY − Abdullah Mubarak, a Rutherford High School graduating senior, has won a 2024 $2,500 National Merit Scholarship.

Mubarak, 17, is the only Bay County student to win the scholarship. Adullah obtained an unweighted GPA of 4.0 and a weighted GPA of 4.7.

"It feels good to be chosen out of very few people for this great achievement," Mubarak said. "Hopefully, I can use it to make a great contribution to the world and the community."

In the fall of 2025, Abdullah will be attending Duke University. His major is undecided.

"There are a lot of interests I want to pursue," said Mubarak, who was born and raised in Panama City. "I have thought about exploring humanities, liberal arts, religious studies, politics, philosophy and history. ... But I want to take time in deciding what I want to do.

"The subjects I mentioned are very important in helping our condition and our welfare," Mubarak said. "With religion, I feel like there is a lot of spiritual crises. There is a lot of division in our community, which is why I want to go into politics as well. We need to bring people together and educate people on the beacon of knowledge."

Abdullah also touched on the struggles he dealt with during his time in grade school to become the student he is today. In ninth grade, Abdullah enrolled in the IB program at Rutherford High School to experience new things academically.

"I always enjoyed knowledge and education, but I wasn't serious about it in my early years," he said. "I wasn't doing my best in class, and I got distracted sometimes. My mother was an important person in my life, and she encouraged me to be a better student."

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Now a National Merit Scholar, Abdullah touched on what advice he would give others about getting to where he is now.

"Do what you're best at and do what you're passionate about," he said. "Find support and stick with your family. Do well academically, but balance that by having friends, and spend time with your family."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Student at Rutherford High in Panama City is awarded National Merit Scholarship