Canyons School District is home to two 2017 National Merit Scholars.

Eric Jackson of Corner Canyon and Brian Johnson of Jordan are among 2,500 high school seniors chosen nationally for the prestigious academic honor.

To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, students had to complete a detailed application with an essay and provide information about extracurricular activities, awards and leadership positions. They were judged by a panel of college admissions officers and high school counselors who looked at students’ academic records, including grades and rigor of the courses they completed.   

But first, students had to score high enough on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Of the 1.6 million American teens who took the test in their junior year, only the top 1 percent, or 16,000, made the cut. That list was then whittled further to 7,500 finalists.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation also awards college-sponsored, merit-based scholarships to deserving students nationwide. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. Among the winners of the first round of college-sponsored awards are three CSD students:

• Jordan High’s Peter Maughan who will be attending the University of Utah
• Hillcrest High’s Alexandra Carlile who will be attending Brigham Young University
• Brighton High’s Emily Hyde who will be attending Brigham Young University