Nine students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts have been named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists.
The National Merit Scholarship Corp. announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program on Sept. 13. The students, who are all members of the Class of 2024, will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring.
The ASMSA seniors named Semifinalists are:
- Nasya Choy of Conway;
- Melanie Holmes of Atkins;
- Carter Horton of North Little Rock;
- Kuhno Lee of Little Rock;
- Christian Lu of Jonesboro;
- Andrew Nguyen of Sherwood;
- Rene Ramirez of Pearcy;
- Chiking Vang of Lincoln; and
- Anna Grace Wright of Pottsville
“We take immense pride in celebrating the exceptional intelligence of our young men and women who have earned recognition as National Merit Semifinalists,” said Bret Vallun, associate dean for college counseling. “Not only are they bright, but they all demonstrate admirable character. This honor is a testament to their preparation, dedication and potential.”
Stuart Flynn, dean of academic affairs echoed Vallun’s praise for the students.
“We congratulate all of our National Merit Semifinalists on this extraordinary honor,” Flynn said. “Every day these students demonstrate their intelligence and integrity by their interactions with peers, faculty and staff in classrooms and across the ASMSA campus. It is an honor to work with these students, and we could not be prouder of them.”
To be considered for the National Merit Scholarship Program, students take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as a junior. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of anticipated graduating seniors.
Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist standing, including a detailed scholarship application that includes information about a Semifinalists academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.
Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. It was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four batches beginning in April 2024 and concluding in July 2024.