Affton High School seniors Jessica Castellanos and Christopher Murphy have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program as Commended Students.

Castellanos, daughter of Chris Castellanos and Marion Healey, is involved in Student Council, Mathletes, the National Honor Society and the the Affton Community Volunteer Organization.

Next year, she hopes to attend college in Chicago, possibly Loyola University, where she intends to study international relations and French.

Murphy, son of James and Joanne Murphy, is involved in the Technology Students Association, band and is an engineering student in the Project Lead the Way program. He also fences and plays Ultimate Frisbee.

He has been accepted to Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, where he intends to study mechanical and computer engineering.

“Both of these students are highly motivated,” Heather Mayfield, Affton High school guidance counselor, stated in a news release. “Jessica is a great student leader who sets a good example for others, and Christopher is a self-directed student. He takes responsibility for his own learning.”

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Commended Students placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the competition by taking the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

“The young men and women being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”