Deerfield Student Awarded 2026 National Merit Scholarship

DEERFIELD, IL — A student from Deerfield was among the winners of this year's National Merit $2,500 scholarship, which was announced Wednesday by the corporation.

Madeline G. Kataz, a student at Deerfield High School, was chosen for the scholarship from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists. Kataz has a probable career field of biology, according to National Merit.

The National Merit $2,500 scholarship winners were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, according to National Merit.

This is the second announcement of winners for the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. College-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners will be announced on June 3 and July 13, National Merit said.

By the end of this year's competition, about 6,700 students will have earned scholarships worth about $24 million, according to National Merit.