Students Receive National Merit Scholarship Recognition In Chatham

CHATHAM, NJ — Doug Walker, principal of Chatham High School, announced that 17 seniors have been named commended students in the National Merit Scholarship Program for 2023.

Walker presented these high-achieving seniors with a letter of commendation from the school and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which runs the program.

"Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success," a spokesperson for NMSC said. "These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation."

Although they will not compete for National Merit Scholarships in 2023, Commended Students were among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2023 competition by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

"We are very proud of the students who achieved this national recognition. It is reflective of their hard work and dedication to learning," Walker said.

Here is a list of all Commended Students:

• Olivia Arpaia
• Charlotte Bandekow
• Lukas Friedman
• Christian Greene
• Jacob Hodapp
• Vincent Hong
• Oscar Jaroker
• Anushka Jois
• Brandon Liu
• Carly McDermott
• Robert Palazzi
• Katherine Pickett
• Patrick Shelffo
• Trevor Sherman
• Elena Wang
• Alex Weng
• Yiru Zhou

According to the organization, approximately 34,000 Commended Students are being recognized across the country for their exceptional academic promise.