North-of-Boston Students Named National Merit Semifinalists

MELROSE, MA — A half-dozen area students were among a group of hundreds across the state named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists on Wednesday, opening a door to potentially win a National Merit Scholarship college grant in the spring of next year.

Students in Malden, Melrose, Burlington and Reading earned a semifinalist spot after taking the National Merit Scholarship qualification test last year. The test is also known as the PSAT.

Top scoring students on the qualifying tests had the opportunity to apply to become a National Merit semifinalist. Of the roughly 16,000 semifinalists selected in the U.S., about 7,200 will go on to become finalists, according to the National Merit Scholarship organization.

Finalists will be eligible for three scholarships, including grants funded by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, others funded by local corporations, and scholarships paid by colleges and universities themselves.

Award winners will be identified between April and July of next year.

Scholarship awards could include annual stipends worth anywhere between $1,000 and $10,000. There are also single payment awards worth $2,500 and $5,000.

Local semifinalists are as follows:

MELROSE

• Mercera Finger (Melrose High School)
• Sammy Mounsif (Melrose High School)

MALDEN

• Liam Bloom (Malden High School)
• Caroline Crowley (Mystic Valley Regional Charter School)

BURLINGTON

• Megan Ohol (Burlington High School)

READING

• Abigail Lebovidge (Reading Memorial High School)