Ten students in Richland School District Two who are showing exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies are competing for National Merit Scholarships. They are among 15,000 finalists in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Finalists will receive a Certificate of Merit provided by National Merit Scholarship Corporation that will be presented to them by their principal.
High school juniors entered the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.
Richland Two’s National Merit Scholarship finalists are Nathaniel C. Cason of Richland Northeast High School; Stephanie A. Babinec, Aleena A. Chattha, Madison K. Han, Justin I. Kong, Ryan D. Leadbitter, Christopher W. Ravan, Jacob A. Stoll, Sai Siddharth C. Thumsi, and Anna V. Todd of Spring Valley High School.
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2023. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 950 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 180 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 160 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
