Twenty high school students from across Olentangy Schools have been named as finalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship competition. These academically talented high school seniors now have an opportunity to earn scholarships worth more than $28 million. 

Over 1.3 million juniors from about 21,000 high schools entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application that includes the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2024. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state representational basis. About 840 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 160 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 160 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2024 will be announced beginning in April and concluding in July. 

Congratulations to the following students, in alphabetical order by last name:

• Badri, Krish (Olentangy Liberty High School)
• Brickner, James (Olentangy Liberty High School)
• Cushman, Annabelle (Olentangy High School)
• Custodio, Mia (Olentangy High School)
• Hand, Liam (Olentangy Liberty High School)
• Hong, Claire (Olentangy Liberty High School)
• House, Evan (Olentangy Orange High School)
• Huang, Daniel (Olentangy Liberty High School)
• Li, Richard (Olentangy Liberty High School)
• Majkowski, Chase (Olentangy High School)
• Naikar, Neena (Olentangy Liberty High School)
• Nelakurti, Rishivarshil (Olentangy High School)
• Peterson, Thomas (Olentangy Berlin High School)
• Ramidi, Shreshta (Olentangy Liberty High School)
• Sakhamuru, Smriti (Olentangy High School)
• Shank, Elijah (Olentangy Liberty High School)
• Sirikonda, Pranet (Olentangy Liberty High School)
• Spetie, Nicholas (Olentangy High School)
• Tripathi, Manas (Olentangy High School)
• Whitaker, Lillian (Olentangy High School)