December 19, 2024
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National Merit Scholarship names 12 Geneva High School students as semifinalists

Principal Tom Rogers: ‘They have not only made their families and teachers proud, but they also set a shining example for their peers’

By Shaw Local News Network
Geneva High School students Ellie Grantcharov, (left) Nicholas Grimes, Evelyn Gibbons, Vitaly Starkov and Ethan Ryan were named National Merit Semifinalists for 2025. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

Geneva High School students Ellie Grantcharov, (left) Nicholas Grimes, Evelyn Gibbons, Vitaly Starkov and Ethan Ryan were named National Merit Semifinalists for 2025. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. (Provided by Geneva District 304)

Twelve Geneva High School students earned recognition in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program, officials announced in a news release.

Evelyn Gibbons, Ellie Grantcharov, Nicholas Grimes, Ethan Ryan and Vitaly Starkov were named National Merit Semifinalists.

About 1.3 million juniors entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 PSAT test, which served as an initial screening of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, which represents less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state, according to the release.

The five Geneva students will submit a detailed scholarship application in the hopes of becoming finalists.

Ernesto Bebe, Jack Danosky, Torin Holda, Anna Keller, James Lusk, Annaliese Rothaar and Benjamin Watson were named National Merit Commended Students.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Commended Students are those who placed among the top five percent of more than 1.3 million students who entered the competition.

“This prestigious recognition is a testament to their hard work, dedication and academic excellence,” Principal Tom Rogers said in the release. “They have not only made their families and teachers proud, but they also set a shining example for their peers.”

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application in which they provide information about the student’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment and honors and awards.

Geneva High School students James Lusk, (left) Torin Holda, Benjamin Watson, Ernesto Bebe, Annaliese Rothaar, Jack Danosky and Anna Keller were named National Merit Commended Students. Commended students are those who placed among the top five percent of more than 1.3 million students who entered the competition by taking the PSAT.

Geneva High School students James Lusk, (left) Torin Holda, Benjamin Watson, Ernesto Bebe, Annaliese Rothaar, Jack Danosky and Anna Keller were named National Merit Commended Students. Commended students are those who placed among the top five percent of more than 1.3 million students who entered the competition by taking the PSAT. (Provided by Geneva District 304)

A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Rogers will present letters of commendation to the students from the high school and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation at a future school board meeting, according to the release.

Geneva School District 304GenevaKane CountyEducation