9 La Jolla High Students Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Several local students were named as semifinalists of the National Merit Scholarship on Wednesday. Semifinalists are in the running for some of the $34 million in scholarships.

The program estimates that more than 90 percent of the semifinalists will advance to be finalists, with more than half of those receiving scholarships or other assistance.

The semifinalists from are:

• Erica Eisen
• Ryan Farley
• Grace Henahan
• Meredith Lehmann
• Ryan Mann
• Yuhao Wang
• Ashley Weller
• Qian Zhang
• Ardis Zhong

In a statement San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Bill Kowba said he joins everyone in the district and community in recognizing the hard work and achievement demonstrated by these students.

"We wish them the best of luck in completing the process and receiving their scholarship," he said.