Wantagh Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists

WANTAGH, NY — Wantagh High School announced that two of its seniors had been named semifinalists for National Merit Scholarships this week, as Matthew Como and Lauren Furer were included in the group that could earn the 72nd batch of merit scholarships.

Como and Furer received the semifinalist tag based on their 2025 PSAT scores, and will continue on in a process that hands out about $24 million in scholarships to about 6,700 students. Wantagh district officials said about 95 percent of the semifinalists are expected to be named finalists; Como and Furer will need to submit a detailed application to earn that distinction, outlining their academic record, participation in their school community and other pieces of their character.

The seniors will have to wait until spring to find out if they’ve been awarded the scholarships themselves, but, according to Wantagh principal Dr. Paul Guzzone, the achievement of being named semifinalists is already an honor to be proud of.

“Matthew and Lauren being named National Merit Semifinalists is a proud moment for Wantagh High School,” Guzzone said. “This recognition doesn’t just reflect their intelligence, it’s a representation of how hard they have worked to get here. They embrace challenges, enrich our campus through their extracurriculars and are just two of the kindest souls you will find.”

Both Como and Furer have several AP courses under their belts, while Como is a three-sport athlete — he made varsity in cross country, swimming and lacrosse — and Furer is a first singles player on Wantagh’s varsity tennis team.

Outside of sports, Como is president of the national honor society, co-president of the band council, a trombone player in the jazz ensemble and marching band, and a member of Wantagh’s science olympiad team.

As for Furer, the senior is captain of the science olympiad and president of model congress. She focuses her academic research in biology, while Como lists his primary academic interests as STEM classes.