IRMO – Eleven District Five high school seniors have been named semifinalists in the prestigious 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented students now have the chance to compete for nearly $26 million in scholarships to be awarded next spring.
District Five semifinalists are:
- Spring Hill High: Anthony Coniglio
- Dutch Fork High: Luke Elgin, Leo Ha, Aarush Kartik, Hunter Taylor, Conner Thatch, Jayden Won
- Chapin High: Vivian Garcia, Athena Kale, Dylan Reynolds, Elizabeth Yong
“Congratulations to each of our students who have been recognized as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists,” said Tina McCaskill, Chief of Academics for School District Five. “The accomplishments of these 11 students demonstrate our district’s commitment to academic excellence from our teachers and students. We celebrate with these students and their families and wish them well in the next steps of the program and their senior year.”
More than 1.3 million juniors in about 20,000 high schools entered the competition by taking the PSAT/NMSQT in 2024. The semifinalists—representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors—are the highest scorers in each state. About 95 percent are expected to advance to finalist standing, with roughly half of those earning a scholarship.
Winners of the 2026 National Merit Scholarships will be announced in nationwide releases beginning in April and continuing through July.
