Thirty Canyons School District seniors have earned prestigious semifinalist honors in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, according to a notice posted to the district's website. These students are part of an elite group being considered for $24 million in scholarships to be awarded in the spring.
The semifinalists include students from Alta, Brighton, Corner Canyon, and Hillcrest high schools. Superintendent Dr. McKay Robinson stated that having 30 high school seniors named as semifinalists serves as a testament to the excellence of Canyons schools and the students' dedication to learning and service. Robinson also noted that the accomplishments reflect the support provided by parents, families, and teachers throughout the students' years in school.
The Canyons District semifinalists are Gabriel L. Carlton, Oliver E. Collings, Tavin J. Gatherum, Steven M. Squire, Johnny Crofts, Miles Higginson, Reagan Moore, Zachary Prebula, William Sorenson, Olivia Stevens, Theodore Oliver, Maximilian Tunbridge, Ty Dastrup, Amelia Draper, Abby Hickok, Surya Kapu, Abigail Larson, James Meadows, Max Stephens, Violet Bradley, Capella Chaudhry, Vaishnavi Kothamasu, Dillon Liew, Lavanya Mohnani, Neusha Nourmohammadi, Harith Sathish, Mia Snisarenko, Zhuocheng Wang, Steven Yao, and Wenray Zhang.
Participants entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking a Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which functioned as an initial screen. The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents fewer than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors. The number of semifinalists in a specific state is proportional to that state's percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
For the next step, semifinalists and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application. This application includes information regarding the student's academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and any honors or awards received.
