2 Lakeland HS Seniors Commended In National Merit Scholarship Program

SHRUB OAK, NY — A pair of shining local high school seniors are now in very exclusive company.

From the Lakeland Central School District.

Lara Villard and Arielle Ascanio, seniors at Lakeland High School, have been named commended students in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSC). This places them in the top 3-4 percent of the nation’s PSAT test takers.

They are part of an elite 34,000 or so high scorers across the country. Some Commended Students may be candidates for Special Scholarships offered by corporate sponsors. The NMSC will notify those candidates in November 2025.

This release was produced by the Lakeland Central School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.