Five students in the Central High School District have been recognized as 2021 National Merit Finalists.

Lucas Ahrens from Calhoun High School, Connor Gibson and Stamatia Papazis from Kennedy High School, and Samantha Green and Tyler O’Neill from Mepham High School were all included on the list.

“Our students have had to pivot to navigate throughout the last school year and they still continue to rise to the challenge academically,” said Superintendent John DeTommaso. “This is a significant achievement that we get to celebrate students from all three of our high schools.”

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Approximately 15,000 students of the 1.5 million juniors who entered qualified as finalists.

Beginning in March and continuing to mid-June, NMSC notifies approximately 7,600 finalists that they have been selected to receive a Merit Scholarship, corporate, or college-sponsored monetary award.