For West Ranch High School graduate Brennan T. Leem, pursuing high achievements is nothing out of the ordinary.
The 18-year-old was recently awarded a National Merit Scholarship and said the award gave him an opportunity to reach greater heights at his dream college, the University of Southern California.
“I feel very thankful that I got such a prestigious scholarship,” Leem said. “It allows me to go to the college that I really wanted to without worrying too much about the financial aspect of it.”
The National Merit PPG Foundation Community Scholarship is given to students who are highly distinguished and are pursuing a college undergraduate degree. About 6,870 students have been awarded for 2024, according to a press release from the National Merit Scholarship Corp.
Leem has spent his entire life in SCV, where he attended Legacy Christian Academy and later transferred to West Ranch. He said that the switch from a private to a public school is what helped him further develop his social skills.
In Leem’s case, USC felt like it had the right balance between academic resources and the opportunity for his social life to thrive – both factors that he liked about the previous schools he attended.
“I felt like it was just, sort of a combination of everything that I wanted,” Leem said.
Leem plans to attend the university’s pre-medical program, in hopes of pursuing a career in the medical field.
But biology is not Leem’s only passion; he also has a soft spot for screenwriting. His favorites include “Whiplash” and “Toy Story.”
In high school, Leem played for the West Ranch boys’ basketball team for four seasons, in addition to coaching for the city of Santa Clarita’s youth basketball program.
