Geneva Students Named National Merit Semifinalists

GENEVA, IL —Several students from area high schools have been picked as semi-finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. The "academically talented high school seniors" are among 16,000 nationwide picked to continue in the National Merit competition as they vie for 7,600 in scholarships totaling $31 million, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced Wednesday.

The following area seniors have been named National Merit semifinalists:

• Reese K. Gosain, Geneva Community High School
• Anne K. McQueeny, Geneva Community High School
• Alexander Wilson, Geneva Community High School
• Julia Zuzinski, Geneva Community High School
• Jazalyn F. Belz, St. Charles East High School
• Sean M. Yetter, St. Charles East High School
• Ayumu Seiya, St. Charles East High School
• Alissa K. Chu, Batavia High School
• Devin A. O'Toole, Batavia High School
• Kyle Wolford, Batavia High School
• Sarah F. Jochum, Homeschool/Batavia

To be considered for a merit scholarship award, semifinalists must now fulfill several requirements to advance as finalists in the competition. More than 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to advance as finalists and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship and earning a coveted National Merit title.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered and winners will be announced in the spring of 2020. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis.

About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 220 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet specific criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located, according to a news release.

In addition, about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

These scholarship recipients will join more than 345,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.