The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) unveiled the names of over 16,000 semifinalists in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program this week, including 56 students from Maine.
NMSC semifinalists come from all over the state of Maine, but Cape Elizabeth High School boasts the largest number, with seven seniors competing for the prestigious scholarship.
Tied for second with five semifinalists are the Maine School of Science and Mathematics and Camden Hills Regional High School.
These top-tier high school seniors, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, are now eligible to vie for around 7,140 scholarships, worth nearly $28 million.
Unlike the majority of scholarships available today, the NMSC scholarships are awarded purely according to academic merit without regard for students’ race, ethnicity, religion, or their parents’ wealth.
The NMSC program recently became the subject of controversy in Virginia when school officials, acting under the banner of equity, attempted to withhold merit-based awards from students who had earned the recognition.
According to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, 17 schools in his state declined to tell students they had won Merit Awards so that students who did not win the Merit Awards wouldn’t have their feelings hurt.
(The full list of Maine’s Merit Award semifinalists is published below. Congrats!)
The NMSC awards will be presented next spring.
NMSC expects around 95 percent of these semifinalists to attain finalist status. Of those finalists, approximately half are projected to clinch a National Merit Scholarship and subsequently earn the Merit Scholar title.
Founded in 1955, the NMSC is a non-profit entity that operates autonomously from government aid. Its mission is to champion academic prowess and stimulate the pursuit of scholarly excellence. The scholarships are funded by NMSC’s own reserves, in collaboration with nearly 320 businesses and higher education institutions that resonate with NMSC’s objectives.
Come spring 2024, finalists will have a shot at three types of National Merit Scholarships:
- 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, allotted based on state representation.
- Roughly 840 corporate-sponsored scholarships, furnished by around 160 corporations and business entities.
- Nearly 3,800 college-sponsored scholarships will be on offer from about 160 colleges and universities, intended for finalists enrolling in the sponsoring institutions.
Here are the semi finalists from Maine:
BANGOR
Bangor H. S.
- Jamadagni, Ved R.
- Tkacs, Riordan J.
John Bapst Memorial H. S.
- Bai, Albert Z.
- Schilling, Declan S.
Penobscot Christian School
- Mullins, Jacob M.
BAR HARBOR
Mount Desert Island H. S.
- Izenour, Steven T.
BETHEL
Gould Academy
- Johnson, Zachary V.
BRUNSWICK
Brunswick H. S.
- Haynes, Wesley N.
- Venegas, Leo C.
CAPE ELIZABETH
Cape Elizabeth H. S.
- Beber, Eli
- Gabrielson, Neil
- Marquardt-Grainer, Hayden
- McCormick, John
- Oakley, Trevor
- Shyka-Brown, Simon
- Straw, Theresa
CUMBERLAND CENTER
Greely H. S.
- Arey, John V.
- Vanni, Zachary
EAST MACHIAS
Washington Academy
- Davis, Dakoda K.
FALMOUTH
Falmouth H. S.
- Alp, Batu N.
- Kim, Daniel J.
- Li, Alex J.
- Wolak, Charles F.
KENNEBUNK
Kennebunk H. S.
- Kahn, Isaac N.
LIMESTONE
Maine School of Science and Mathematics
- Dabas, Nina
- Labbe, Ethan G.
- Peck, Emiko J.
- Reischer, Charles A.
- Thompson, Cole S.
NEWCASTLE
Lincoln Academy
- Houghton, Mica E.
- Parson, Connor M.
ORONO
Orono H. S.
- Kim, David J.
- Roggenbuck, Zane N.
PORTLAND
Baxter Academy for Technology and Science
- Ginn, Natalie E.
Portland H. S.
- Darlington, Adrian
- Hemond, Caden A.
- Schoenfeld, Matan S.
Waynflete School
- Barmby, William D.
- Levine, Mira J.
ROCKPORT
Camden Hills Regional H. S.
- Hixson, Kalen A.
- Hokkanen, Karl M.
- McDevitt, Henry H.
- Spear, Griffin W.
- Wolovitz, Ina H.
SACO
Thornton Academy
- Dumas, Jack
SCARBOROUGH
Scarborough H. S.
- Cloutier, Logan
SOUTH BERWICK
Berwick Academy
- Boufama, Andre A.
- Garside, Kaya J.
- McLaughlin, Ryan J.
Marshwood H. S.
- Ducey, Carter
- Nabel, Rowan A.
SULLIVAN
Sumner Memorial H. S.
- Berry, Asa C.
WINTHROP
Winthrop H. S.
- Cheng, Max H.
YARMOUTH
Yarmouth H. S.
- Janczuk, Jack N.
- Martinez, Sebastien M.
- Vinnakota, Annabelle H.
YORK
York H. S.
- Hunter, Samuel A.
