Tacoma's National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists Announced

TACOMA, WA — Nine Tacoma students are semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship Program.

About 16,000 students from across the country are semifinalists and will go on to compete for some 7,500 scholarships that will be awarded in the spring. According to the scholarship program, about 95 percent of students will make it to the finalist round and about half of all finalists will win a scholarship.

There are three different types of scholarships awarded in the spring as part of the program, including scholarships financed by corporations and colleges. The scholarships total $30 million.

The program says semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay and earn either an SAT or ACT score that confirms their earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Here are Tacoma's finalists:

• Mark Benjamin Epstein, Homeschool
• Caroline Hall, Stadium High School
• Anna Thomas, Stadium High School
• Caitlyn Ye, Stadium High School
• Hayden Feeney, Tacoma Science and Math Institute
• Patricia Estrada, Charles Wright Academy
• Reed Kregenow, Charles Wright Academy
• Andrew Noh, Charles Wright Academy
• Alex Kim, Annie Wright School

To make it to the finalist stage, students have to submit details about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities and more.