Four students in the Central High School District have been recognized as National Merit Semifinalists, and 14 additional individuals have been named Commended Students in the prestigious 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Phoebe Clancy and Lindsay Nashtatik of Kennedy High School and Asher Chang and Jeremy Dang of Mepham High School were among the 16,000 students nationwide who earned a semifinalist distinction.

“This is an extraordinary achievement that reflects their remarkable academic ability, perseverance, and commitment to excellence,” said Michael Harrington, the Superintendent of Schools. “Having four students earn this prestigious recognition is a great source of pride for our entire district, and we are grateful to the families, teachers, and staff whose encouragement and support helped these students reach this milestone.”

Additionally, 14 individuals in the district earned Commended Student status; Tazbid Ajhor, Kellan Auyeung, Harlan Chugerman, Eva Cohen, Abigail Dubs, Noah Greenbaum, Dillon Hopp, Emily Schoenberg, and James Wu of Kennedy High School, Noah Diamant, Naina Kapadia, Emma Lasky and Siddhangi Wickramasinghe of Calhoun High School and Elias Katz 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 2027, and scholarship winners will be announced in the spring of 2027.