Herndon Student Named 2020 National Merit Semifinalist

HERNDON, VA — The list of 2020 National Merit Semifinalists has been released, and a student from Herndon High School is on it.

Pauline Tillotson will compete with 237 other students from 17 high schools in Fairfax County, the bulk of which hail from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (157 semifinalists).

All semifinalists will be eligible to compete for 7,600 National Merit Scholarship awards worth more than $1 million that will be awarded in the spring of 2020.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is a U.S. academic scholarship competition established in 1955 that is administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a not-for-profit organization based in Illinois.

About 1.6 million students from 22,000 high schools enter the competition each year.

Semifinalists will now be asked to submit a scholarship applications including essays and information on extracurricular achievements and other accomplishments. They will also need to maintain outstanding grades and be endorsed by a school official.

"The mission of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is to recognize and honor the academically talented students of the United States," their website states. "NMSC accomplishes its mission by conducting nationwide academic scholarship programs. The enduring goals of NMSC's scholarship programs are: to promote a wider and deeper respect for learning in general and for exceptionally talented individuals in particular; to shine a spotlight on brilliant students and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence at all levels of education; and to stimulate increased support from individuals and organizations that wish to sponsor scholarships for outstanding scholastic talent."