September 13, 2023 - The National Merit® Scholarship Corporation named Olivia Peters and Benjamin Hansen, seniors at Mill Valley High School, and De Soto High School senior Carson Miller, as Semifinalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the high-scoring entrants in each state.

These academically talented seniors will learn if they advance to the Finalist level in February 2024. To become a National Merit® Scholarship finalist, each Semifinalist will provide information about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout their high school career, provide a recommendation from a high school official and write a personal essay as part of the national competition.

National Merit® Scholarship winners of 2024 will be selected from the group of Finalists with the winners being announced at the beginning of April and concluding in July. In the National Merit® Scholarship Program, three types of scholarship wards are offered to Finalists: National Merit $2500 Scholarships, corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards, and college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards. Special Scholarships are awarded to outstanding students who are not Finalists and meet a corporate sponsor's criteria. These scholarship recipients will join some 375,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

Congratulations to all three of these outstanding students!

   
From left: Olivia Peters, Mill Valley High School; Benjamin Hansen, Mill Valley High School and Carson Miller, De Soto High School