21 NCHS Students Receive National Merit Scholarship Recognition

NEW CANAAN, CT — A total of 21 New Canaan High School seniors were honored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as 2018 Merit Scholars in either the Semifinalist, Commended, or Hispanic Scholar categories, school officials announced.

The seniors were recognized during a reception at the high school earlier this week that was attended by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi, NCHS Principal Bill Egan, Assistant Principal Ari Rothman, NCHS facultly and school counselors, district administrators, family, and friends.

The NCHS seniors who received Merit Scholarchip recognition are: National Merit Semifinalist
Scholars: Conor West, Erin Spiess, Natasha Tchir, and Daniel Lu.

Those receiving National Merit Commended Scholars honors are: Kevin Brunner, Oliver Crookenden, Luke Crowley, Gray Farley, Griffin Fill, Elizabeth Greer, Bridget Haley, Meghan Kloud, Lance Phillips, Max Plum, William Rechtermann, Kathleen Reeves, Katelyn Robertson, Dylan Shane, Katherine Unger and Nicole Vanderlee.

The school's National Hispanic Scholar is Victor Alvarez.

From the school's announcement:

Each year, approximately 1.6 million high school students enter the National Merit® Scholarship Program. Of those entries, only approximately one percent qualify as National Merit Semifinalists, chosen from a pool with the highest PSAT/NMSQT ® Selection Index scores. National Merit Commended Scholars represent the top two percent of those 1.6 million students. The National Hispanic Scholars represent the top 1.5% of the 400,000 Hispanic students who took the PSAT.

In February 2019, some 15,000 Semifinalists will be notified they have advanced to Finalist
standing. All winners of Merit Scholarship® awards are chosen from this Finalist group based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments - without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

Photo: New Canaan High School’s 2018 Merit Scholars: (left-right) Max Plum, Lance Phillips, Kevin Brunner, Natasha Tchir, Dylan Shane, Erin Spiess, Victor Alvarez, Oliver Crookenden, Gray Farley, Daniel Liu, Conor West, Luke Crowley, Bridget Haley, Katelyn Robertson (in front, crouching), Nicole Vanderlee, Katherine Reeves, and Katherine Unger. (Not pictured: Griffin Fill, Elizabeth Greer, Meghan Kloud and William Rechtermann). Photo credit: Valerie Stryker

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