Sept. 14, 2021

10 named National Merit Semifinalists

Ten Upper St. Clair High School seniors were recently named Semifinalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Competition. The following students scored in the top one percent of all juniors completing the PSAT in October 2020: Bear Klaber Bottonari, Phoebe Mei-Yin Chen, Sophie Chuang-Yin Chen, Milan Somanath Giroux, Alex James LeKachman, Eden L. Ma, Molly Catherine Maher, Kaelyn Grace Moran, Nivedha A. Suresh and Daniel Jing Wang.

“These 10 students have demonstrated incredible effort and dedication to their academic as well as extracurricular pursuits,” Dr. Tim Wagner, Upper St. Clair High School principal, said. “We are so proud and excited to see what the future holds for each of them.” 

Founded in 1955, the National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. Students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the PSAT – the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test – during the fall of their junior year. The top one percent – approximately 16,000 students – qualify as Semifinalists.

According to the program’s website, “The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.”

The Upper St. Clair Semifinalists have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must submit a detailed scholarship application that highlights academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the Semifinalists on Sept. 15, 2021. National Merit Finalists will be named in February 2022, followed by the National Merit Scholars in the spring. The program awards three types of National Merit Scholarships - 2,500 National Merit Scholarships of $2,500; approximately 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships; and 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarships.

For more information regarding the National Merit Scholarship Program, visit: www.nationalmerit.org.