Danville Students Win National Merit Scholarships

DANVILLE, CA — Two Danville students received National Merit Scholarship awards of $2500, which were awarded by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's own funds. One recipient attends Monte Vista High School, while the other lives in Lafayette but attends the Athenian School.

In September, more than 16,000 semifinalists were selected on the basis of their PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test scores. To advance to the finalist round, semifinalists needed to have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed or recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm their qualifying test performance.

Below are the finalists’ names, schools, and probable career fields:

• Bashar Kabbarah, Monte Vista High School, computer engineering.
• Michael J. Solomon, Lafayette, Athenian School, National Merit Chevron Scholarship, secondary education.

Kabbarah was one of three total SRVUSD students awarded in the latest round. Mengze Li and Cindy Zhao of California High School were also honored. In April, two students from Monte Vista, two from Dougherty Valley, and one from Cal High received corporate-sponsored scholarships.

“We are incredibly proud of these five exceptional students,” SRVUSD Superintendent CJ Cammack said in a statement in April. “They exemplify the strength of our schools, the support of our community, and the limitless potential of our youth. We celebrate their hard work and the opportunities these scholarships will unlock for their futures.”

Winners of college-sponsored Merit Scholarships will be announced June 4 and July 14. By the end of the 2025, more than 6,930 students nationwide will have earned National Merit Scholarships totaling approximately $26 million, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.