5 West Chester-Area High Schoolers Win National Merit Scholarships

WEST CHESTER, PA — Five local students have been named a National Merit Scholarship winner in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Below are West Chester-area winners of $2,500 National Merit Scholarships:

West Chester East High School

• Ethan Altshul, of West Chester, probable career field: English literature
• Alex Chen, of West Chester, probable career field: law

B. Reed Henderson High School

• Kaitlyn Elizabeth Evans, of West Chester, probable career field: engineering
• Ioana Miruna Vasilescu, of West Chester, probable career field: zoology

Unionville High School

• David McLean Hendrix, of West Chester, probable career field: business

These five and the other awardees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding finalists in the 2024 program.

These winners had the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

They were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.