Four WHS Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists


Four Waukee High School seniors have been named semifinalists in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Architha Bommena, Madeline Hakala, Christopher King, and Emma Shepard are among approximately 16,000 academically talented high school seniors who were named as semifinalists and have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,5600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. Over 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 400 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2020 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 345,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

Congratulations to Architha, Madeline, Christopher and Emma on receiving this academic honor!