4 North Penn Students Named National Merit Scholars

LANSDALE, PA — Four North Penn High School students have earned one of the more distinguished honors possible for high school students: the National Merit Scholarship.

Two were named finalist winners: Lansdale's Tristan Misko, who plans to study applied mathematics, and North Wales' Aaron Dixon, who plans to study biochemistry. Both will receive $2,500 toward their studies.

Only 2,500 winners were chosen from a pool of more than 15,000 students from around the nation.

Winners are selected purely on merit, without consideration of their family financial circumstances, college choice, major, or career plans. Students are evaluated on standardized test scores, academic record, leadership and community activities, a recommendation, and an essay.

Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 410 business organizations and higher education institutions, according to the news release.

In addition, two more North Penn seniors were awarded National Merit Corporate Scholarships. Anoop G. Bhat of North Wales, an electrical engineering major, won the Boeing Scholarship, while Jonathan Okasinski of Harleysville, who will focus on materials science, won the PWC Charitable Foundation Scholarship.

About 1,000 seniors around the country were granted corporate scholarships, which are given to students who make it to the finalist level of the NMS competition and also meet the criteria of the companies involved.

Patch file photo