September 13, 2023
ROCKY RIVER, Ohio – Three Rocky River High School seniors have been named National Merit Semifinalists in the 69th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program, while a group of seven other seniors have been named National Merit Commended Scholars.
RRHS seniors who have earned the distinction of National Merit Semifinalists are Daniel Capka, William Coleman and Emma Ionescu.
In addition, seniors Nicholas Hollabaugh, Aaryan Patel, Alan Ritvo, Connor Schiefferle, Alice Situ, Sophia Vasiloff and John Weixel have been recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars.
These 10 students join five other RRHS seniors who were named to the College Board National Recognition Program earlier this month. Brianna Chaves-Bernal, Natalie Crompton, Jack Petrus and Luke Petrus received the National Hispanic Recogntion Award, while Oluwatomisin Kale earned the National African American Recognition Award.
Capka, Coleman and Ionescu are part of a group of approximately 16,000 students nationwide to be named semifinalists in the prestigious program, representing less than one-percent of U.S. high school seniors. The group now has an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. More than 90-percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing and about half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 345,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
More information about the National Merit Scholarship Program, which was established in 1955, is available online.