15 Capo Unified Seniors to Compete for National Merit Scholarships

From a press release:

Fifteen Capistrano Unified School District seniors have been named semifinalists in the 60th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program, officials from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced.

The 15 students are part of approximately 16,000 semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors. Last year, 16 CUSD students reached the semifinals.

The district’s semifinalists are: Edward Guo, Forrest Li, Cameron McCartin, Juno Son and Justin Yee from Aliso Niguel High School; Hao Zhou, Daniel Achee and Renee Cai from Capistrano Valley High School; Christian Martindale from Dana Hills High School; Mark McGuire from San Clemente High School; Cole Morgan, Evan Morgan and Esther Wong from San Juan Hills High School; and Devan Agrawal and Amanda Brown from Tesoro High School.

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,000 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $35 million that will be offered next spring.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and more than half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the National Merit Scholar title.

Finalists will be announced in February.

PHOTO Patch file photo.