National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) announced this year’s winners of the National Merit $2500 Scholarship. The 2,500 Merit scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of some 16,000 outstanding finalists in the 2021 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.

The following winners are from La Cañada and attend La Cañada High School: Derek Ahn, probable career field is economics; Reza Hemmati, probable career field is biochemistry; Derek Jiang, probable career field is computer programming.

From La Crescenta is Rodolfo Andres Ruiz, who attends Flintridge Prep and whose probable career field is mechanical engineering; Julian S. Suh-Toma, who attends Sequoyah School in Pasadena and whose probable career field is public policy; from Tujunga is Alex Yeghikian, who attends Verdugo Hills High School and whose probable career field is medicine.