September 25, 2024 – Seven senior students have earned 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program honors, joining more than 100 AISD graduates who have been named National Merit Scholars over the last decade.
Jason Vo, an Amarillo High School senior earned the National Merit Semifinalist distinction. Semifinalists represent less than one percent of US high school seniors and include the highest score earners on the PSAT test in each state. Jason will continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.
Six other seniors from Amarillo and Tascosa High Schools earned the National Merit Commended Scholar designation.
2025 National Merit Semifinalist:
Amarillo High School
2025 National Merit Commended Scholars:
Amarillo High School
-
Lance Dykhouse
-
Elizabeth Griffin
-
Elizabeth Lewis
-
Nathanael Smith
-
Peyton Thompson
Tascosa High School
AISD is the only area school system to consistently produce National Merit Scholars, year after year. In the last ten years, more than 100 AISD students have earned a National Merit scholar designation.
High school juniors entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Semifinalists have the opportunity to compete for more than 7,100 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million.
Commended scholars represent about two-thirds of high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT test. Although Commended Students will not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some may be candidates for Special Scholarships offered by corporate sponsors.
From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about 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.
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
