Six Ankeny Seniors Achieve National Merit Semifinalist Status

ANKENY, IA -- Six high school seniors at two Ankeny schools are among approximately 16,000 teens nationwide named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program, officials announced Monday. Among the honored students are Landon Geren and McKenna Goffinet from Ankeny High School and Katelyn Hockemeyer, Kelsey Lyons, Connor Neils and Claire Wubben of Ankeny Centennial High School.

The nationwide semifinalists, selected by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million. Selection will be held in the spring.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

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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 and earn the Merit Scholar title. The nonprofit National Merit Scholarship Corporation operates without government assistance and was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC and by approximately 420 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

Image from Ankeny schools website