30 FAU High Students Named National Merit Finalists
Not pictured: Cassidy Johnson
A total of 30 Florida Atlantic University High School students have been named finalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Competition, the largest group in school history.
More than 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. From the approximately 16,000 semifinalists, about 15,000 were named finalists.
To become a National Merit finalist, each semifinalist submitted a detailed scholarship application, which includes their academic record, extracurricular activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, honors and awards. They were also endorsed by a high school official, submitted an essay, and performed well on the SAT.
“I am constantly in awe of the dedication and achievements accomplished by our students,” said Joel Herbst, Ed.D., superintendent of schools at FAU. “This incredible honor is evidence of the passion our teachers, students and parents strive for every day as they work hand-in-hand to create the greatest and most beneficial educational opportunities for our students. I have never been more excited for the future of our school and community.”
FAU High School students to earn this distinction include Molly Allen, Nickolas Arustamyan, Aleksander Beluskov, Christopher Cox, Paulina DeVito, Lauren Eigles, Gabriella Barrios Escobar, Michael Evrard-Vescio, Kevin Figueroa, Sa'id Gonzalez, Casey Hudspeth, Imtisal Imran, Alexander Jensen, Zachariah John, Cassidy Johnson, Katja Karoleski, Maya Khazem, Matthew Lopez, Jake Myers, Neo Nguyen, Michael Norberto, Marea Pennell, Hannah Phelps, Talisa Roberts, Angelina Smith, Jaclyn Thi, Cameron Veit, Connor Veit, Devin Willis and James Warszycki.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is a not-for-profit organization that identifies and honors academically talented U.S. high school students. Since its founding in 1955, NMSC has recognized more than 3.3 million students and provided more than $1.7 billion in scholarships.
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