Four Lexington District One seniors named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists

Lexington, S.C. — The National Merit Scholarship Program named four Lexington County School District One students as semifinalists, keeping them in the running for significant scholarship awards. Semifinalists represent the top 1% of high school seniors across the United States.

Semifinalists from Lexington District One include:

• Jacob Rawson and Caroline Shirer, seniors, Lexington High School; and

• Kang “Kevin” Liu and Sumanth Pandiri, seniors, River Bluff High School.

Each year, thousands of students submit test scores, teacher recommendations, community service hours and personal essays. The program selects students who show exceptional academic ability. These seniors continue in the competition for approximately 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million.

In February, around 90% of the 16,000 nationwide semifinalists will attain finalist standing, with half of those eventually winning a National Merit Scholarship.

Scholarships include National Merit Scholarships worth $2,500 each, college-sponsored Merit Scholarships that provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study, and about 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships.