SAMO, Crossroads students honored
By Keldine Hull
On Tuesday, September 10, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the 2020 semifinalists of the 65th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
Approximately 16,000 high school students will go on to compete for a share of 7,600 scholarships collectively worth over $31 million. According to the NMSC, over 1.5 million juniors in 21,000 high schools throughout the United States entered the scholarship program by taking the 2018 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/ NMSQT).
The next round of the scholarship program will determine who the finalists are. “To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received,” said the NMSC.
About 15,000 semifinalist students are expected to advance to finalists. Students will be notified in February if they make it to the next stage, and half of those students will go on to win a scholarship. Finalists will be selected for three types of National Merit Scholarships. Winners will be announced between April and July of 2020. The NMSC added, “These scholarship recipients will join more than 345,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.”
The following students in Santa Monica have been selected as semifinalists:
Crossroads School
Celeste Mancia
Santa Monica High School
Rex A. Evans
Weston R. Kerekes
Ireland M. Neville
Matthew W. Sasaki
Samuel W. Sasaki
Lily P. Stern
Michael Vigman
Kiana M. Williams
