One student in the High School District has been recognized as a National Merit Semifinalist, and nine additional students have been named Commended Students in the prestigious 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. 

Tiffany Yam of Kennedy High School was among the 16,000 students nationwide who earned a semifinalist distinction.   

“We are incredibly proud of these outstanding students for their hard work, dedication, and academic excellence,” said Michael Harrington, Superintendent of Schools. “Their recognition in the National Merit program is a testament not only to their talent, but also to the support of their families, teachers, and school community.” 

Additionally, nine individuals in the district earned Commended Student status; Samuel Klein, Alessandra Lee, Jacob Levy, Daniel Lin, Conor McMillan, Mason Schlesinger, Jordan Siegel, and Kyle Wasserman of Kennedy High School, and Mya Passanisi of Mepham High School. 

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test during their junior year. The semifinalists represent the highest scoring 1% of the students nationwide who took the PSAT, while Commended Students who placed among the top 34,000 scorers of more than 1.5 million students. Although Commended Students will not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some may be candidates for Special Scholarships and will be notified in November 2026. 

National Merit Scholarship semifinalists must submit a detailed application, including information about their academic record and participation in school and community activities. They also report any employment, honors and awards and demonstrated leadership abilities. Finalists will be notified in February 2026, and scholarship winners will be announced in the spring of 2026.