National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) announced this year’s National Merit $2500 scholarship winners. The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding finalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program.

National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

These scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®); contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

This is the second announcement of winners in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. On April 27, about 1,000 recipients of corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards were named, and on June 1 and July 11, some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners will be announced. By the conclusion of this year’s competition, about 7,500 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $28 million.

NMSC finances most of these single-payment National Merit $2500 Scholarships. Corporations and company foundations that sponsor awards through NMSC also help underwrite these scholarships with grants they provide in lieu of paying administrative fees. Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2020 when high school juniors took the PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than 1% of the nation’s high school seniors, were named semifinalists on a state-representational basis. More than 16,000 semifinalists had an opportunity to continue in the competition.

From the semifinalist group, over 15,000 students met the academic standards and other requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. By the conclusion of the 2022 program, about 7,500 finalists will have earned the “Merit Scholar” title and received a total of nearly $28 million in college scholarships.

NMSC, a not-for-profit corporation that operates without government assistance, was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of scholarships offered each year are underwritten by approximately 400 independent corporate and college sponsors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring scholastically talented youth and encouraging academic excellence at all levels of education.

Local awardees of a National Merit $2500 Scholarship include: Matthew E. Keshishian of Glendale, who attends Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta, whose probable career field is computer science; Nicole A. Mirzaian of Glendale, who attends Flintridge Preparatory School in La Cañada Flintridge, whose probable career field is bioengineering; Joshua Jihwang Oh of Glendale, who attends Village Christian H. S. in Sun Valley, whose probable career field is screenwriting/directing. From La Cañada Flintridge are Connor M. Lee, who attends La Cañada High School, whose probable career field is law, Dylan M. Mealey, who attends Flintridge Preparatory School La Cañada Flintridge, whose probable career field is undecided, Sean D. Mealey, who attends Flintridge Preparatory School, whose probable career field is engineering, Colin K. Ng, who attends Flintridge Preparatory School, whose probable career field is economics, Kamran C. Samudrala, who attends La Cañada High School, whose probable career field is computer science, Ryan M. Silva, who attends La Cañada High School, whose probable career field is public policy, Andrew J. Thein, who attends Polytechnic School in Pasadena, whose probable career field is computer science, and from La Crescenta Quinn C. Deitch, who attends St. Francis H. S. in La Cañada Flintridge, who probable career field is surgical medicine.