Carson High School seniors Hannah Budd, left, and Maria Benshoof have qualified as 2026 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.
Photo by Jessica Garcia.
By Jessica Garcia
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Carson High School seniors Maria Benshoof and Hannah Budd are looking ahead to a future in medicine.
Benshoof and Budd have been named Carson High’s 2026 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. In February, they will be notified whether they have received a scholarship from the program that recognizes the top 1% of high school seniors based on academic performance, leadership qualities, accomplishments and service. Students compete for approximately 6,390 scholarships totaling $26 million.
“It took me a while to realize it actually was a big deal,” Budd said. “I would say that it’s not difficult to find a balance (between academics and activities) when you love what you’re doing.”
Benshoof has an interest in orthopedic oncology and has participated in the school’s Health Occupations Students of America student group, working community service hours at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center.
“We’re also working on creating a volunteer program to create a pipeline of high school students to the hospital to support high school students’ futures and also the hospital’s mission,” Benshoof said.
Budd said running cross country and spending time with friends keeps her focused on her school work. She organizes church activities, spends time outdoors and plans to attend Brigham Young University to study health care.
“There are months where I’m like, this is good and I’m happy to be with my friends and it makes it so much better,” she said. “The key is on having a good attitude.”
Benshoof encouraged students to maximize their time in school.
“Getting involved is the best way to make the most out of your experience,” she said. “That time’s going to pass anyway whether you’re in high school for four years and you don’t do any extracurriculars. So make the most of the time you have.”
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