Half Hollow Hills Student Wins $2,500 National Merit Scholarship

The Half Hollow Hills Central School District is proud to announce that Half Hollow Hills High School West senior Benson Lu Huang has been awarded a $2,500 scholarship in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Competition. He is one of only 2,500 students selected from more than 15,000 finalists nationwide, recognized for his academic excellence and personal accomplishments.

National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

“We are incredibly proud of Benson for earning this distinction in this year’s competition,” said John O’Farrell, Superintendent of Schools. “His achievement reflects the strong academic foundation he has built in Half Hollow Hills, along with a clear commitment to excellence. He is a wonderful representative of the talent and determination we strive to cultivate in all of our students.”

These Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT^®); contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2024 when high school juniors took the PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named Semifinalists on a state-representational basis. More than 16,000 Semifinalists had an opportunity to continue in the competition.

From the Semifinalist group, over 15,000 students met the very high academic standards and other requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. By the conclusion of the 2026 program, about 6,700 Finalists will have earned the “Merit Scholar” title and received a total of nearly $24 million in college scholarships.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of scholarships offered each year are underwritten by approximately 300 independent corporate and college sponsors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring scholastically talented youth and encouraging academic excellence at all levels of education.

An education-oriented community with high academic expectations, the Half Hollow Hills Central School District is located in a residential area of 50,000 people in the central part of Long Island, approximately 40 miles from New York City. Providing for the education of approximately 7,200 students, the school district has five elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. Half Hollow Hills High Schools are fully accredited by the New York State Department of Education. The district is committed to providing all students with equitable opportunities to excel in academics, athletics and the arts.