Charleston Leader

High school juniors nationwide take the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) each October. While not mandatory, all eight high schools in Kanawha County offer it to their juniors. Annually, about 1.3 million juniors participate in this test, marking the first step toward earning a Merit Scholarship.

The National Merit process begins with the PSAT taken by 1.3 million students in October 2023. By April 2024, 50,000 are identified as High Scorers. In September 2024, 16,000 seniors are named Semifinalists, and by February 2025, this number narrows to 15,000 National Merit Finalists.

Students achieving National Merit Finalist status represent the top 2% of those who took the PSAT. Kanawha County Schools has announced that nine students from their district have achieved this honor: Veda Bendre, Julia Griffith, Ava Katz, Archana Krishnathas, Shrihan Malkaram, and Olivia Sizemore from George Washington High School; Nathaniel Jackson from Herbert Hoover High School; Addison Dangerfield from Nitro High School; and Lucas Shamblin from Sissonville High School.

Kanawha County Schools expressed excitement over this achievement: "This is a tremendous honor for these students and is a testament to their commitment to academics." The recognition opens up various scholarship opportunities for these students as they pursue further education.