Lovejoy ISD is proud to announce 24 students have been recognized in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, an annual academic competition for recognition and college scholarships conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).
Over 1.3 million high school juniors took the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and met requirements to enter the 2026 National Merit® Scholarship Program. With a Selection Index score of 210 or above, these high performers have shown outstanding academic potential.
From the 50,000 highest scorers nationwide, approximately 34,000 students are being commended for their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT. Congratulations to these Lovejoy High School Commended Students:
Zayan Alam, James Bognot, Bryce Brezette, Alice Chi, Lucas Hersley, Grace Hu, Harper Jaynes, Maddox Johnson, Pragnya Kotra, Ethan Liao, Noelle McGill, Jordan Paulus, Morgan Powell, Manas Rai, Max Rattleff, Colt Whitfill, Caroline Wilkins
Additionally, approximately 16,000 of the 50,000 highest scoring students have been designated as Semifinalists in the 71st National Merit Scholarship Program, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and the top scorers in each state. Semifinalists will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for about 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million to be offered in spring 2026.
We are pleased to announce these seven students from Lovejoy High School have been named National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists:
Carson Dykstra, Nolan Finnigan, Andrew Lamping, Shilohk Navaneethakrishnan, Pranav Pamadurthi, Keshav Subash, Ben Sussman
Being recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program is an extraordinary accomplishment. This prestigious honor is a testament to the exceptional academic abilities, dedication, and hard work demonstrated by our Semifinalist and Commended Students. We look forward to watching them continue to excel in their academic pursuits.
Congratulations to all of our Lovejoy High School recognized students!