Danville Student Named National Merit Scholar

DANVILLE, CA — Monte Vista High School student Kailey Emmons was named a National Merit Scholar, one of the five in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District to win the prestigious award. Tavi Greenfield, who lives in Oakland but attends the private Athenian School in Danville, was also honored.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation awards $2,500 scholarships from its own funds and organizations sponsoring awards through the corporation to 2,500 students across the country. A committee of college admissions officers and school counselors chose the winners based on their application information.

Winners are named in each state in proportion to the state's share of U.S. graduating seniors who are judged to have "the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies."

Students may use the one-time scholarships at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

Emmons wants to study biomedicine, according to a National Merit Scholarship Corporation news release. Greenfield wants to study computer science.

Below are the names, schools, and probable careers of the four other SRVUSD winners:

• Ayan Bhatia, Dougherty Valley High School, Engineering
• Arnav Hampapur, Dougherty Valley High School, Engineering
• Sarveshan Saravanan, Dougherty Valley High School, Computer Science
• Ananya Vittaladevuni, Dougherty Valley High School, Engineering

"We are so proud of our students who have been named [National] Merit Scholarship winners,” SRVUSD Superintendent Dr. John Malloy said in a statement. “SRVUSD strives to create an environment for each student to experience deep learning and to thrive. These students have certainly done so. They've demonstrated a dedication to academic excellence and the ability to persevere to achieve their goals. They are exemplary leaders in a rising generation who are set to make a difference in the world. We are thankful to all the educators and parents/caregivers who have supported them throughout their journey."

In the Tri-Valley, two students from Dublin, and nine from Pleasanton also received awards.

In April, three other Danville students received corporation-sponsored National Merit Scholarships. These scholarships were sponsored by about 107 corporations, company foundations and other business organizations and typically go to National Merit Scholarship finalists who are employees' children or students pursuing college studies or careers that the sponsor wants to support.

On June 7 and July 10, more scholarship recipients will be announced. Around 3,800 students will receive these college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners.

In all, over 7,140 high school students will be awarded approximately $28 million in National Merit Scholarships this year.

Students were entered into the National Merit Scholarship competition as juniors taking the PSAT in 2021. In September, around 16,000 semifinalists were named based on each state's proportion of graduating seniors. Semifinalists were the top-scoring entrants in their states and represent fewer than 1 percent of seniors in the United States.

To be considered for finalist status, semifinalists had to submit a detailed scholarship application with an essay and details on extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions as well as demonstrate an outstanding academic record and have an endorsement from a high school official. Around 15,000 finalists met the requirements for finalist status and were eligible to be chosen for corporate-sponsored, National Merit Scholarship-sponsored and college-sponsored awards.