When it comes to academic contests, there are few as rigorous or prestigious as the National Merit Scholarship Program. Of the more than 1.5 million high school students who entered the competition this year, only 7,600 will prevail to win an estimated $31 million in scholarshipsand among those in the running are 15 Canyons District students.
Students from Brighton, Corner Canyon, Jordan and Hillcrest high schools today were announced as semifinalists for 2020 National Merit Scholarship Awards. They are among 16,000 top scholars nationally and 155 in Utah to advance this far in the competition.
The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents fewer than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors. The number of Utah semifinalists is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. Semifinalists must have an outstanding academic record and show participation in school and community activities as well as leadership qualities.
The finalists and winners of the 2020 scholarships will be announced in the spring. The students and their schools are:
Brighton High
Grace A. Sheffield
Jacob Simmons
Corner Canyon High
John Bodell
Cooper C. Gardiner
Camryn J. Young
Jordan High
Richard J. Barnes
Isaac Christiansen
Hillcrest High
Horace Gao
Luke Kim
Advait Mahajan
Victor A. Petrov
Sraavya Pinjala
Marcus J. Turnbull
Laura H. Wan
Emily Zhang
