Malibu High School Students Earn National Recognition

MALIBU, CA — Five Malibu High School students recently earned national recognition for their academic achievements.

National Merit Scholarship Program

One MHS senior, Athena Rem, has been named a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Rem is one of less than 50,000 students out of 1.5 million entrants to earn a semifinalist position, according to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

The students earned the honors based on their PSAT scores, which put them in the state's top 0.5 percent of students. Semifinalists are invited to advance to compete for finalist standing, which comes with a $2,500 scholarship.

“I feel really proud to be a semifinalist,” Rem said in a statement. I remember I was worried because I was sick on the day of the PSAT, but I had my SAT score so I was still able to qualify through alternate entry. Hopefully the skills I developed in studying will help in college and beyond.”

Rem hopes to attend Columbia University.

Additionally, two MHS students — Katherine Baker and Filip Kurial — earned "commended" status from the program, earning a letter of achievement and the opportunity to compete for other scholarships, according to the district.

College Board National Recognition Awards

Two Malibu High School juniors, Chloe Loquet and Jolie Tantet, earned National Hispanic Recognition Awards.

The awards are bestowed on students based on their PSAT and AP exam scores, according to the College Board.