The National Merit® Scholarship Corporation named De Soto High School seniors Josiah Bunselmeyer, You-Ha Kim, and Dane Newland and Mill Valley High School seniors Rachel Joseph, Nathan Turvey, and Ian Weatherman as Semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

To become a National Merit® Scholarship finalist, each Semifinalist is required to provide information about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout their high school career, provide a recommendation from a high school official, and write a personal essay as part of the national competition.

These academically talented seniors will learn if they advance to the Finalist level in February 2026. Finalists will learn if they are a 2026 National Merit® Scholarship winner between April and July.

Three types of scholarship awards are offered to Finalists: 2,500 Finalists will receive a National Merit $2500 Scholarship, about 830 Finalists will receive corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards, and about 3,600 Finalists will receive college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards.

Scholarship winners will join more than 389,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

Congratulations to these outstanding De Soto and Mill Valley students!