September 13, 2023 -- 14 Vestavia Hills High School students have been named Semifinalists in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

National Merit Semifinalists at Vestavia Hills High School are, as pictured:

Front row, left to right: Danielle Qin, Carol Li, Jessica Ma, Anusha Singh, Shayna Jotani

Back row, left to right: Patrick Ball, Hunter Carroll, Aarya John, Edward Pang, Daniel Cheng, Arav Singh, Hansen Sha

Not pictured: Drakeson Hu, Riley Newsome

The students are among 16,000 Semifinalists nationwide who will have the opportunity to compete for some $28 million in scholarships, according to a release today from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The students entered this year’s competition by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of high school seniors in the U.S.

“Our faculty and staff at Vestavia Hills High School are so proud of these students. This achievement is a testament to their extraordinary efforts throughout their years of education and also to their supportive families. This is an outstanding accomplishment that is certain to provide them with numerous, unparalleled opportunities in the years to come,” Vestavia Hills High School principal Tonya Rozell said today.

National Merit Finalists will be announced in the spring of 2024.