Meet Berlin High's Merit Scholar Honorees

Berlin High School

BERLIN, CT — Berlin High School is well-represented this year in the National Merit Scholarship Program, school officials announced recently.

Berlin High School Principal Katie Amenta recently announced three students were recognized in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program: Cole Webster – commended student; and Max Ding and Andrew Feldman – as semifinalists.

Over 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2025 National Merit
Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying
Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

From the 50,000 high scorers nationwide, about 34,000 commended students are being recognized. Another 16,000 have been named semifinalists, representing the top scorers in each state.

Webster has consistently earned high honors status over the course of his time at Berlin High and has earned the University of Rochester Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award, the Advanced Biology Award, and the Band Achievement Award.

He enhances his musical education by participating in the BHS saxophone quartet, Redcoat marching band, and earning a spot in the Greater Hartford Youth Wind Ensemble.

Webster's passion for music has him looking to study music after graduation from Berlin High School.

From advanced and honors to AP and UConn ECE courses, Ding has challenged himself academically while achieving high honors status throughout high school.

Ding has been inducted into the Berlin High chapters of the National Honor Society and Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society.

He is captain of the indoor track team and has played baseball since the age of 7,
participating on a travel baseball team, volunteering at Little League youth clinics, and umpiring
at Little League baseball and softball games.

He is also musically inclined, playing piano and saxophone and participating in the Berlin High Madrigals a capella group.

He recently completed a month-long fellowship at UConn’s Institute of Materials Science studying synthetic polymers.

Feldman’s academic coursework at Berlin High includes numerous Advanced Placement and UConn Early College Experience courses.

In addition to consistently achieving high honors status, he was named the top Advanced Biology student in 2023.

Feldman plays piano and is a member of the Music Improv Club where he is learning to play guitar.

With all the hours he has spent volunteering at church, at school, and in the community, he also
finds time for a part-time position as a math/reading tutor, helping other students succeed.

Feldman plans to study applied mathematics after graduation.