Clay County District Schools is excited to announce that six students have been named as Semifinalists in the 2023 National Merit® Scholarship Program. Years of classroom preparation, intense studying, and outstanding test scores have prepared these students for the next level. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. These six academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring.
To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit 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. National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases this spring, and we look forward to following along!
Congratulations to all of our qualifying seniors! The full list of CCDS National Merit Semifinalists is below.
Clay High School - Seyhan Bulut
Oakleaf High School - Pujan Patel
Orange Park High School - Justin Hart and Luke Rykalsky
Ridgeview High School - Nathan Bartholomew and Benjamin Lohse