Two Falcons Among Four AACPS Students Named National Merit Scholarship Finalists

In early April, four Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) students were named National Merit Scholarship finalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

The students are:

• Abbie Heath, Severna Park High School
• Peter Judge, Severna Park High School
• Daniel Garrett, Arundel High School
• Nikita Mehta, South River High School

The NMSC has operated the National Merit Scholarship Program since 1955 and does so without government assistance. Most of the NMSC’s scholarships are bestowed by 280 independent corporate organizations, higher education institutions, and individual donors.

Approximately 50,000 academically talented high school students are honored by the program each year, and about 16,000 of them are named semifinalists based on their performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Finalists go on to compete for National Merit Scholarships, of which approximately 6,800 will be awarded this year.

To make more students eligible for National Merit Scholarships, AACPS administers the PSAT to all students in grades nine through 11 and the SAT to all juniors. Both exams are administered free of charge.

AACPS’ four finalists were honored by the Board of Education of Anne Arundel County (BOE) at its April 23 meeting. Judge, Garrett and Mehta were invited to meet and receive congratulations from AACPS Superintendent Mark Bedell and BOE President Robert Silkworth. Heath was unable to attend, but all four students were congratulated for their achievements by those in attendance.