9 Plainfield High School Students Named National Merit Finalists

PLAINFIELD, IL — Nine students from Plainfield School District 202 high schools have been recognized as National Merit Scholarship finalists.

The recognized teenagers are students at Plainfield East, Plainfield North and Plainfield Central high schools. The nine are competing for 2,500 National Merit scholarships, each worth $2,500, District 202 officials said Thursday evening. Final awards will be announced in the spring.

On top of the high academic achievements required to qualify, students must also be endorsed and recommended by the school principal.

"What an extraordinary achievement for our students, especially during this pandemic," Superintendent of Schools Lane Abrell said in a statement. "They should be very proud of themselves, as we are very proud of them."

RELATED: 10 Plainfield D202 Students Named National Merit Semifinalists

Here is a list of District 202 finalists:

• Catherine L. Brenmark (PEHS)
• Laine K. Cibulskis (PEHS)
• Matthew P. Manzella (PEHS)
• Anna Murray (PEHS)
• Samantha H. Bowser (PNHS)
• Isabela J. Person (PNHS)
• Jacob J. Seiden (PNHS)
• Ethan K. Witek (PNHS)
• Simon R. Snydersmith (PHSCC)

Winners of the Merit Scholarship will join more than 362,000 who have earned the title of National Merit Scholar.

The students competing for the awards entered the National Merit Program as juniors by taking the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The pool of semifinalists — there were 10 at District 202 announced in September — makes up less than one percent of all high school seniors in the country, according to Tom Hernandez, director of community relations.

About 220 corporations and businesses will give about 1,000 sponsored scholarships to finalists who meet their organization's criteria, and almost 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance around 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists attending their sponsoring school.