2 West Aurora High Seniors Named National Merit 'Commended Students'

AURORA, IL — Two West Aurora High School seniors have been named "Commended Students" by the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program, highlighting their "outstanding dedication to academic excellence."

West Aurora High School and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the organization that oversees the esteemed program, presented Aidan Culpepper and Mohamed Noorani with letters of commendation to acknowledge the accolade.

About 34,000 students nationwide receive the honor, placing them in the upper ranks of the 50,000 students who entered the 2024 competition by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

The students do not proceed in vying for the National Merit Scholarship awards, but their distinction "remains a testament to their academic capabilities," district officials said in a news release.

"We are so proud of our Commended Students of the National Merit Scholarship program," Whitney Martino, West Aurora High School's assistant principal of teaching and learning, said in a statement. "This recognition is evidence of Aidan and Mohamed’s commitment to academics and high achievement. They are now part of an exclusive group of students across the nation that demonstrate outstanding academic performance."