Seneca Valley Senior Wins National Merit Scholarship

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA — Seneca Valley High School senior Shivani Umesh has been named a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winner by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Umesh was one of 2,500 Merit Scholar designees who was chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding finalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program.

National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners are the finalists in each state judged to have the
strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2022 when high school juniors took the PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named semifinalists on a state-representational basis.

More than 16,000 semifinalists had an opportunity to continue in the competition.

“We would like to congratulate Shivani Umesh on being rewarded with the National Merit
scholarship,” Seneca Valley Senior High School principal Bob Ceh said.

“Her academic journey is a testament to unwavering commitment and dedication to personal growth, culminating in this award. With her remarkable achievements, we have no doubt that she will carve out a distinguished future.”

By the conclusion of the 2024 program, more than 6,870 finalists will have earned the “merit scholar” title and received a total of nearly $26 million in college scholarships.