Plainfield Central Grad Named National Merit Scholar

PLAINFIELD, IL — A Plainfield Central High School graduate is one of less than 3,000 students to win a college-sponsored award as part of the 2025 National Merit Scholarship program.

Caleb McMillin won a scholarship from Michigan Technological University, where he plans to study mechanical and aerospace engineering.

The prestigious National Merit Scholarship program honors academically talented high school seniors by giving them the chance to compete for thousands of scholarships. This year, 146 colleges and universities underwrote awards ranging from $500 to $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the financing institution.

High school juniors nationwide enter the program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The pool of semifinalists comprises less than one percent of all United States high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

In all, more than 6,930 students across the country won National Merit scholarships in categories worth about $26 million. Roughly 2,900 students won a college-sponsored award.