20 Solon High School Seniors Named National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalists

Solon is tied with two other Ohio public high schools as having the highest number of students recognized as National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalists for this year, according to a news release.

“We know the class of 2014 has impressive academic credentials,” Solon High School Principal Erin Short said in a prepared statement. “Yet it is always so gratifying to see the long list of SHS student names on the Semi-Finalist roster from the National Merit Scholarship program each year. We are so proud of their accomplishments to date and we are looking forward to working with them this year as they add to their academic resumes.  

The 20 National Merit Semi-Finalists are: 

• Jonathan Chai
• Nicola Douglas
• Tyler Eston
• Yumi Gambrill
• Alan Jaffe
• Qing Ke
• Crystal Kong
• Jocelyn Liao
• Louisa Liu
• Nicholas Maurer
• Katrina Mikofalvy
• Edidiong Okon
• Sarah Rahman
• Brian Sang
• Kanithra Sekaran
• Katie Shen
• Sharan Subramanian
• Kevin Sun
• Eric Wang
• Kylene Ye.  

Each of these students earned a score on the PSAT that was high enough to rank them as a National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalist.  To qualify as a semi-finalist, a student’s score must be among the highest in the state. The number of semi-finalists varies from state to state, since the number selected is proportional to the percentage of the total number of graduating seniors in each state.

The 20 Semi-Finalist students will continue in the competition to become National Merit Scholar Finalists by fulfilling several additional requirements in the coming months.

First, they must attain an SAT score that confirms their achievement on the PSAT qualifying test. They must also demonstrate a record of outstanding academic performance throughout high school and be endorsed and recommended by their high school principal.

In addition, the students and school officials must complete a detailed scholarship application that includes a student essay and information about their participation and leadership in school and community-based activities. 

"The fact that Solon High School students consistently lead the state in National Merit Scholar recognition reflects the strong partnership that exists with our student body, parents, teachers and support staff, and the Solon and Glenwillow community at large,” Short said.