Fairfield Prep is proud to announce senior Mark Ballesteros has been named as a National Merit Finalist. Of the 1.5 million entrants in the nation, Mark was initially recognized among the top 16,000 semifinalists, and continuing on in the competition he has been recognized as one of 15,000 finalists. This outstanding achievement is highly consistent with Mark’s academic journey at Prep. A 4-year Summa Cum Laude honor student who has taken the strongest course load available and achieved a 4.13 GPA, Mark is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and a peer tutor. He is also the recipient of the Yale Book Award.

Mark is a 4-year member of Model United Nations (Secretary-General), Debate Club (co-president), Fairfield Prep Plato Club (co-founder), Astronomy Club and Historians Club. Mark is also active in his hometown of Westport, where he serves on the board at Toquet Hall Youth Center. He volunteers at Wakeman Boys & Girls Club in Southport, participated in an Appalachian service trip, and volunteered with the Church of the Assumption youth group. Best wishes to Mark as he will attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall.