Every day, Robert Clark, a senior at Edwardsburg High School, gets up early to be at school before the sun lights the sky.

Always aiming to be early to class, Clark gets to the high school at 7 a.m. and spends a few hours there before leaving to drive to the Berrien County Math and Science Center, located at Andrews University.

“Every day, I drive about 45 minutes to get to my other school,” Clark said. “All in all, I spend about three hours at [the Berrien County Math and Science Center] and three hours [at EHS].”

While this routine may sound tiring to some, Clark said it is worth it not only because he loves academics, but because all his hard work has landed him a chance to win a prestigious scholarship.

Clark was recently announced as a semifinalist for the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program, hosted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has been hosting the program for 63 years. Each year, the corporation donates $32 million worth of scholarships to highly qualified, academically gifted high school students, according to its website.

Clark is one of 16,000 semifinalists in the program, and 7,500 students are expected to move onto finalist status. Half of those 7,500 will earn the title of Merit Scholar.

Clark hopes to be one of those 3,750 title winners.

“I just found out that I qualified,” he said. “It was really exciting. I was really surprised. I just walked into school one day and our principal said, ‘did you know that you are a semifinalist?’ I didn’t know. I was a great surprise.”

The 4.0 student opted to apply for the qualifying rounds for the scholarship when he took his PSATs his junior year.

Though he originally applied on a whim and did not expect to qualify, Clark believes he has a chance to win the prestigious scholarship.

“I’m hopeful that I’ll at least make it to the final round,” Clark said. “I think I have a pretty good shot.”

Should he win the scholarship, Clark plans to attend the University of Michigan next fall and study biomedical engineering, which he would do regardless.

“I’ve always been really into science and stuff,” he said. “I’ve already sent in my college applications and I’m ready to move on.”

Despite his academic achievements, Clark wants people to know that he is more than just a body in a classroom.

Clark races motorcycles in his spare time. He plays golf in the spring. He is also a member of the National Honor Society. He is highly involved in high school theater and will be playing the role of George Bailey in EHS’s upcoming production of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

“I’m kind of all over the place when it comes to things that I do,” he said. “It can be a lot to manage my time [with so many extracurriculars]. I have to make sure that I do all of my homework.”

Clark said that it is through the support of his family and his teachers that he is able to stay academically successful despite his busy social calendar, and that it will be with their help that he will be able to continue on into the final round of the scholarship competition.

“I’ve always been inspired by all of my teachers,” Clark said. “Right now, it’s a waiting game to see if I get a scholarship.”