TWELVE FAU HIGH STUDENTS NAMED NATIONAL MERIT FINALISTS

From left to right, Delaney Dobson, Noa Abiri, Eli Levit, Ajay Desai, Rudy Paul, Cydni Turner, Paige Fries, Willow Hearne and Diego Jerez. Not pictured, Joseph Michaud, Dustin Karp and Eleanor Stuart.

by BRITTANY SYLVESTRI | Thursday, Feb 21, 2019

Twelve Florida Atlantic University High School students have been named finalists in the 2019 National Merit® Scholarship Competition. These high school seniors will now have the opportunity to compete for 7,500 National Merit scholarships worth more than $31 million.

FAU High School students to earn this distinction are Noa Abiri, Ajay Desai, Delaney Dobson, Paige Fries, Willow Hearne, Diego Jerez, Dustin Karp, Eli Levit, Joseph Michaud, Rudy Paul, Eleanor Stuart and Cyndi Turner.

“This is one of the highest recognitions a high school student can earn,” said Joel Herbst, Ed.D., superintendent of PK-12 schools and educational programs at FAU. “To qualify as a finalist in this highly competitive program not only displays each students’ dedication to education, but their passion for extracurricular activities and their leadership demonstrated in, and out, of the classroom.”

To become a National Merit finalist, each semifinalist must submit a detailed scholarship application, which includes their academic record, extracurricular activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, honors and awards. They also must be endorsed by a high school official, write an essay, and perform well on the SAT. The 2019 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in the summer.

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 million students and provided more than $1.7 billion in scholarships.

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