Above: EGHS’s four national merit semifinalists, from left, Daniel Vilker, Mara Oancea, Mia Schenenga and Cayetano Sanchez. Photo courtesy of EGHS

The National Merit Scholarship Program announced Wednesday the names of more than 16,000 semifinalists for a National Merit Scholarship, including four members of the EGHS Class of 2023. Those students are Mara Oancea, Cayetano Sanchez, Mia Schenenga, and Daniel Vilker. They now proceed to the competition for 7,250 scholarships worth nearly $28 million, to be announced next spring. A total of 41 students from Rhode Island achieved semifinalist status.

Semifinalists are chosen from their scores on the PSAT, which students take in the junior year. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

Find the full list of Rhode Island semifinalists here: R.I. Semifinalists. If you or your child has been overlooked because they attend a private school, please let us know! Email [email protected].