29 SUSD seniors named semifinalists for 2025 National Merit Scholarships – Arizona Digital Free Press
Nearly 30 seniors from the Scottsdale Unified School District are being recognized as semifinalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program, joining more than 400 students across Arizona.
The National Merit Scholarship is one of the country’s most esteemed academic honors, celebrating outstanding achievement among high school students, according to a press release.
Of the more than 1.3 million students who took the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test last fall as juniors, more than 16,000 Semifinalists have been selected to continue in the competition, including the following seniors from these SUSD high schools:
• Arcadia High School ‒ 3 students, including: William Carroll, Tessa Dwyer-Kim, Cian Fehlberg
• Chaparral High School ‒ 8 students, including: Prithvi Anickode, Ellegra Davis, Gavin Frindell, Michael Kahn, Arielle Kutz, Aidan Primack, Aidan Song, Aditya Tyagi
• Desert Mountain High School ‒ 15 students, including: Pradyumn Anupindi, Lauren Howie, Ayana Jain, Freya Karve, Roshni Nagarakanti, Aman Patel, Armaan Patel, Mai Piel, Elizabeth Shen, Sophia Smiljanich, Kavya Sud, Aarna Tanna, Alessandra Utterback, Cassidy Veale, Lyla Yango
• Saguaro High School ‒ 3 students, including: Lydia Parks, Fiona Riley, Ryan Searle
“We’re incredibly proud of our students’ hard work and dedication,” said SUSD’s Superintendent, Dr. Scott Menzel. “Being named National Merit Semifinalists is a testament to these students’ exceptional achievement and a reflection of our district’s strong commitment to academic excellence.”
The 29 SUSD students, along with other semifinalists nationwide, represent less than 1 percent of the Class of 2025 and are among the highest-scoring students in each state, the release states.
These exceptional students now advance to the Finalist stage, where they will spend the coming weeks completing a comprehensive scholarship application. This includes submitting their academic records, detailing their involvement in school and community activities, employment history, and any honors or awards they’ve earned. Additionally, they must write an essay, secure a recommendation from a high school official, and provide SAT® or ACT scores that validate their outstanding performance on the PSAT taken in their junior year.
