Six POBJFKHS Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists

Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School (POBJFKHS) is proud to announce that six members of the class of 2026 have been named semifinalists in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program. The students are Matthew Fitzgerald, Soha Jhaveri, Seok Hoon Lee, Claire Lim, Dylan Stal, and Ethan Torres. They are among 1.3 million entrants nationwide and entered the competition by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The POBJFKHS semifinalists represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and have scored among the highest in the state.

“Congratulations to these students on this incredible academic accomplishment,” said Dr. Heather Dvorak, Principal of John F. Kennedy High School. “It is not only a testament to the hard work of these students, but also that of the collective efforts of our entire Plainview-Old Bethpage educational community in nurturing these talented students’ abilities.”

In February 2026, roughly 15,000 of the 16,000 semifinalists are expected to advance to finalist standing. These finalists will then be eligible to compete for nearly 6,390 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $26 million.

For more information about the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District, please visit the District’s website at www.pobschools.org. Exciting activities happening throughout the District and programs celebrating student achievement can also be found on the District’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pobschools/.