2 Naperville Central Students Named 2026 National Merit Scholars

NAPERVILLE, IL — Two Naperville Central High School students were recently chosen from among over 15,000 students nationwide to receive a corporate-sponsored 2026 National Merit Scholarship.

The 2026 National Merit Scholar from Naperville are:

• Acer P. Colbenson, who plans to study mechanical engineering, received a scholarship from Paramount Global.
• Amy R. Yang, who plans to study computer science, received a scholarship from AMETEK, Inc.

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The Naperville students were among some 700 finalists who were selected as National Merit Scholars this round. Finalists were evaluated on their PSAT and National Merit Qualifying Test scores, academic records, letters of recommendations, community contributions and essay submissions.

Scholarships include from one-time payments and renewable awards of up to $10,000 annually.

When the 2026 National Merit Scholarship program comes to a close, some 6,700 finalists will have been chosen as Merit Scholars, receiving a total of close to $24 million in scholarships to attend accredited colleges and universities throughout the United States.