Two Carson High Seniors Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists – Carson Now
Carson Now
Your One Stop for Carson City News
Carson City, Nev. (Sept. 12, 2025) — The Carson City School District is pleased to announce two Carson High School (CHS) high-achieving students have been named Semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. CHS Seniors Maria Benshoof and Hannah Budd have qualified as semifinalists, and in February 2026, will be notified of their finalist designation for the scholarship(s).
The students are two of more than 16,000 Semifinalists across the country vying for nearly 6,930 scholarships worth more than $26 million in funding offered next spring. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain a finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship.
More than 1.3 million juniors in about 20,000 high schools nationwide entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment and honors and awards received. 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.
This prestigious recognition is a testament to the outstanding academic achievements and dedication demonstrated by these students throughout their high school careers.
From more than 16,000 semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skill, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin or religious preference.
The National Merit Scholarship Program, administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), recognizes and honors exceptional high school students for their outstanding academic performance. Being named a Semifinalist is a significant accomplishment, as it places these students among the top 1% of high school seniors nationwide.
– # # # # –
ABOUT Carson City School District
Located in Nevada’s capital, Carson City School District offers public education to approximately 7,300 students throughout Carson City. The district includes 6 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 alternative high school and 1 comprehensive high school. Carson City School District boasts many successes including impressive graduation rates, strict safety measures, programs for gifted students and advanced-placement classes, among several others. In a joint venture with Western Nevada College, the Carson City School District Jump Start College program allows students to complete their senior year of high school and freshman year of college simultaneously. For more information, visitcarsoncityschools.com.
We encourage our readers to submit news, press releases, photos, videos and calendar events to Carson Now.
Find your new job here.
Most content submitted to Carson Now is covered under Creative Commons license
