LAS VEGAS – Seventy-four Clark County School District (CCSD) high school students have been selected as 2026 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The students represent the top one percent of U.S. high school seniors and qualify to continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be awarded in the spring.
“I am incredibly proud of our students who continue to showcase CCSD excellence through their remarkable achievements,” said CCSD Superintendent Jhone Ebert. “This honor reflects on their individual talents, as well as the dedication of the many educators who contributed to their academic journeys. It is inspiring to see these exceptional students recognized nationally for the commitment they demonstrate every day in their classrooms.”
The students are the highest-scoring in Nevada from a nationwide pool of over 1.3 million juniors representing about 20,000 high schools. To qualify, students took the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screening of program entrants.
To become a Finalist, each Semifinalist, along with their high school, must submit a detailed application providing information about the candidate’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment, and honors. A Semifinalist must also have an outstanding academic record, 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, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2026. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title. Winners will be announced publicly at four separate times beginning in April and concluding in July 2026.
CCSD is proud to congratulate the following National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists:
Advanced Technologies Academy
- Beauparlant, Julie M.
- Corpuz, Sarah Jeanina J.
- Crampton, Jeffery C.
- Delgado, Wyatt E.
- Huang, Jingxuan
- Kay, Asher I.
- Lamug, James N.
- Lombardi, Logan S.
- Nguyen, Danny N.
- Ordonez, Ignacio M.
- Pavlik, Aurora F.
- Percy, Donavin W.
- Teen, Nolan W.
- Vierra, Joseph Daniel E.
- Zagala, Timothy R.
Arbor View High School
- Keith, Katelin
College of Southern Nevada H.S. – West
- Chen, Alexandra
Coronado High School
- Busby, Mia B.
- Choi, Henry H.
- Elimelech, Iris S.
- Kyong, Samuel L.
- Ladzinski, Maya
- Pistalu, Julia N.
- Schwartz, Sezana H.
- Syed, Maryiam
- Umakanthan, Devan
- Yang, Jonathan S.
- You, Seungho
Desert Oasis High School
- Hodsdon, Joy H.
- Khachaturyan, Armen
- Talbot, Danecca J.
Ed W. Clark High School
- Binu, Alexia
- Chang, Celine
- Chu, Muriel Z.
- Hoang, Hanna M.
- Howard, Maylea M.
- Kim, Isabella F.
- Kim, Jason
- Kurian, Ethan M.
- Mamidi, Dishetha
- Park, Nathan J.
- Perez, Theo Miguel A.
- Suzuki, Sean J.
- Tamir, Annika R.
- Tran, Daisy T.
- Wang, Jaden
Foothill High School
- Garcia, Addyson
- Schwartz, Caden
Green Valley High School
- Doyle, Emma S.
- Martin, Charlotte L.
- Tan, Sanjay
Las Vegas Academy of the Arts
- Bearden, Paul
- Hussey, John
Liberty High School
- Andersen, Easton J.
- Lee, Vivian A.
- Solow, Tyler Z.
Northwest Career and Technical Academy
- Ferran, Gavin
- Foreman, Rachel
- Kinsey, Anthony
- Kirigin, Jake
- Little, Brandon
Palo Verde High School
- Betz, Caden
Shadow Ridge High School
- Scow, William
Silverado High School
- Jackson, Naomi
West Career and Technical Academy
- Burda, Caleb
- Dai, Sophia
- Davalos, Michelangel
- Gates, Sean
- Lee, Rachel
- Li, Melody
- Park, Ian
- Takos, Landon
- Ullman, Amalia
- Willis, Dean
To learn more about the Clark County School District, visit ccsd.net.
