4 South Kingstown Students Named National Merit Semifinalists

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — High school seniors across Rhode Island have been named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, including four students from South Kingstown.

They join about 16,000 students in the U.S. who earned spots as semifinalists after taking placement tests last spring. The top-scoring entrants are then able to submit an application to become a National Merit semifinalist. Typically, about 7,200 students become finalists, according to the nonprofit.

Finalists will be eligible for three types of scholarships: grants funded by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation; ones funded by local corporations; and scholarships funded by colleges and universities. Those awards will be revealed between April and July 2023.

Some prizes provide stipends worth $1,000 to $10,000 renewable each academic year, and other prizes offer a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000.

Here are the students from South Kingstown, and their schools, who earned the semifinalist designation:

The Prout School

• Gavin Girard

South Kingstown High School

• Kathryn Barrus
• Sierra Silversmith
• Olivia Walsh.