11 From Central Bucks Named National Merit Finalists

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Central Bucks School District recognized 11 district students Thursday night as National Merit Scholarship Program finalists.

During the school board's monthly meeting held at Central Bucks South High School, Acting Superintendent Dr. Charles Malone publicly congratulated the students on what he called a "remarkable achievement."

The National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes high school students for academic achievement based on PSAT performance, along with strong grades, leadership and extracurricular involvement, according to the district.

Students are selected first as semi-finalists for having the top scores in the state on the PSAT. From there, they complete a rigorous application that includes a strong academic record, school recommendation, and confirmation of their performance on the SAT/ACT.

Just one percent of students nationwide earn the finalist standing, according to Malone.

Central Bucks West - Finalists are Sanat Nayak and Noah Gerstein.

Central Bucks East finalists - Susanna Dai, Hanwen Hu, Madelyn Madrid, and Harper Grace Polan.

Central Bucks South finalists - Alaina Ahuja, David Dougherty, Julian Grofcsik, Deborah Gym and Lucas Mohr.

“We are incredibly proud of these students and their outstanding accomplishments," said Malone.

The Merit Scholarship program gives out $26 million in scholarships annually to 6,930 high school students from across the country, considering the student applicants on a comprehensive list of criteria, including academic record, community involvement both at and outside school, leadership skills, employment history, honors, endorsements, and an application essay.