NATCHEZ — After a long, dry stretch, for the second year in a row Natchez has a National Merit semifinalist.

This year it’s 17-year-old Trinity senior Jheri Dupré Ogden, and she said she’s glad to represent the area in the prestigious scholarship competition.

“I am glad that the town is getting more recognition in the competition, but obviously it feels good (to be a semifinalist),” she said.

To be a semifinalist, Ogden had to score in the top 1 percent of Mississippi testers on the PSAT, and she said that receiving the notification that she was a semifinalist wasn’t a complete surprise — it was a goal.

“I took the PSAT as a sophomore, and my scores then were very close,” Ogden said.

“We knew there was a possibility, but obviously it felt good to hear it.”

Working with an objective has always been part of Ogden’s mode of operation, her mother, Shirley Ogden, said.

“She has set goals and really tried to reach her goals, and she continues to set goals,” Shirley Ogden said.

“I truly feel like I am the most blessed person in the world to have her as my daughter. She has been a sweetheart from day one, and she works very hard, and I am very, very proud of her.”

Jheri Dupré Ogden has already filled out the application to determine if she is a finalist, which includes information about the courses she’s taking, her extracurricular activities and an essay.

She will get the final word Feb. 2.

“National Merit is a big name,” she said. “To say you’re a National Merit finalist — I hope I make it that far.”

After high school, Ogden said she plans to study medicine, health and society, a degree she said is a blend of biology and anthropology.

From there, she wants to pursue a degree in either public health administration or pediatric oncology.

“I want whatever I do to have a purpose in it, and that would definitely be a profession with a purpose,” Ogden said.

She has already cut her teeth in the medical field, spending two weeks last summer studying tropical medicine in Costa Rica with Duke University.

“That was the best experience of my life, by far the best thing I have ever done,” she said.

In addition to studying tropical medicine, the program included studying local plant life and how it is used in folk medicine, she said.

In the meantime, she’ll have plenty to keep busy.

Ogden is a member of the cross country and track teams, president of the Key Club, the business editor of the school yearbook, a member of student council, on the mayor’s youth council, active in the First Baptist Church youth group and president of National Honor Society.

To be a National Merit finalist, Ogden’s SAT scores will have to back up the initial PSAT scores, something she said has already been confirmed.

But she’s not content with that.

“I’m going to take the SAT again in December to see if I can make a higher score,” she said.