{"id":43928,"date":"2026-09-11T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/6-risd-students-named-national-merit-semifinalists\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T16:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T21:00:00","slug":"6-risd-students-named-national-merit-semifinalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/6-risd-students-named-national-merit-semifinalists\/","title":{"rendered":"6 RISD Students Named National Merit Semifinalists","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">These outstanding students are among 16,000 national semifinalists recognized in the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Recognized students are academically talented high school seniors who represent less than 1% of all seniors across the country and include the highest test-scoring entrants in each state. They will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for one of the 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $24 million to be awarded in the spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Over 1.2 million students across about 20,000 high schools entered the 2027 National Merit by taking the Preliminary SAT\/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT\/NMSQT\u00ae), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">National Merit Finalists exhibit exceptional academic abilities, skills, and accomplishments and are highly recruited by selective colleges across the nation, with some colleges and universities offering significant scholarships or even full rides based on National Merit status.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Please join us in celebrating RISD\u2019s National Merit Semifinalists:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Eliya Asoulin-Handelman, J.J. Pearce High School&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Naomi Drazin, J.J. Pearce High School<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Gabriel Frydman, J.J. Pearce High School<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Huxley Johnson, Richardson High School<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Hill Liles, Richardson High School<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Tyler Stead, Richardson High School<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in the spring of 2027. These scholarship recipients will join approximately 395,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title in the program\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"43934\" src=\"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Eliya-819x1024.png\" alt=\"NationalMerit_Eliya\" class=\"wp-image-43934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Eliya-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Eliya-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Eliya-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Eliya.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"43930\" src=\"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Naomi-819x1024.png\" alt=\"NationalMerit_Naomi\" class=\"wp-image-43930\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Naomi-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Naomi-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Naomi-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Naomi.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"43933\" src=\"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Gabriel-819x1024.png\" alt=\"NationalMerit_Gabriel\" class=\"wp-image-43933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Gabriel-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Gabriel-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Gabriel-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Gabriel.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"43931\" src=\"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Huxley-819x1024.png\" alt=\"NationalMerit_Huxley\" class=\"wp-image-43931\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Huxley-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Huxley-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Huxley-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Huxley.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"43932\" src=\"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Hill-819x1024.png\" alt=\"NationalMerit_Hill\" class=\"wp-image-43932\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Hill-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Hill-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Hill-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Hill.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"43929\" src=\"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Tyler-819x1024.png\" alt=\"NationalMerit_Tyler\" class=\"wp-image-43929\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Tyler-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Tyler-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Tyler-768x960.png 768w, https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_Tyler.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Congratulations to the outstanding RISD students who have been qualified. These high school seniors who represent less than 1% of all seniors across the country and include the highest test-scoring entrants in each state.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":2,"featured_media":43935,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_cover-1.png",1000,600,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_cover-1-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_cover-1-300x180.png",300,180,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_cover-1-768x461.png",768,461,true],"large":["https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_cover-1.png",1000,600,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_cover-1.png",1000,600,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2026\/09\/NationalMerit_cover-1.png",1000,600,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"RISD","author_link":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/author\/bprewitt\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Congratulations to the outstanding RISD students who have been qualified. These high school seniors who represent less than 1% of all seniors across the country and include the highest test-scoring entrants in each state.","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-24 08:57:31","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43928"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43937,"href":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43928\/revisions\/43937"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.risd.org\/RichardsonHS\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}