Dozens of SRVUSD students named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists

When the list of program semifinalists was announced last week, 60 students from the San Ramon Valley Unified School District were recognized: 40 from Dougherty Valley High School, nine from California High, seven from Monte Vista High and four from San Ramon Valley High.

Another three local semifinalists attend The Athenian School, a private campus in Danville. One home-school Danville student made the list, too.

"I congratulate our remarkable students who work hard each and every day and take advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow," SRVUSD superintendent Rick Schmitt said in a statement Thursday. "SRVUSD is invested in educating the whole child through a balanced approach to teaching and learning."

The approximately 16,000 national semifinalists represent less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors, consisting of the highest scoring entrants from each state, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the not-for-profit group that organizes the annual award program.

To qualify, a semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay and earn SAT scores that confirm the student's earlier performance on the qualifying test, according to organizers.

Up to 15,000 of the students will make the cut as finalists when the list is announced in February, organizers said.

To become a finalist, qualifying students and their high school must complete a detailed scholarship application in which they provide information about the semifinalist's academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received, organizers said.

About half of the finalists will earn a National Merit Scholarship when the winners of the 62nd annual program are announced in the spring.

"As we celebrate our continuing academic success, we must remember that our students' successes are not just measured by test scores and assessment results. Our focus is on students' continuous improvement, rather than performance," said Schmitt, who is in his first school year leading SRVUSD.

"The overall physical, emotional and social well-being of our students is critical to ensuring that they live a balanced and healthy life," he added. "With that said, the PSAT, as well as the follow-up SAT, are aligned to the California State Standards and are good measures of what we teach and expect our students to learn."

The list of semifinalists from the San Ramon Valley and throughout California can be viewed online.

Source: Dozens of SRVUSD students named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists