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Seven Richland One Students Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Seven Richland One students have been named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, which recognizes academically talented high school seniors across the country. 

Over 16,000 semifinalists will compete for about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $24 million. The scholarships will be offered in the spring.  

Richland One’s National Merit Scholarship semifinalists are: Dreher High School students Dominic Empleo, Aria Le, Rohan Black, Micah Roth and Alice Wang; and A.C. Flora High School students Anna Goblirsch and Daniel Hughey. 

High school juniors entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2025 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 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, 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 qualify as finalists, semifinalists must submit a detailed scholarship application which includes their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, honors and awards. They also must have an exemplary high school academic record, be endorsed by a high school official, write an essay and earn an SAT or ACT score that confirms the student’s academic performance.  

About 95 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.  

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Five students standing and smiling

PHOTO 1: Dreher High School’s 2027 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists are (from left) Dominic Empleo, Aria Le, Rohan Black, Micah Roth and Alice Wang.

  

Three people standing and smiling

PHOTO 2: A.C. Flora High School’s 2027 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists are Anna Goblirsch (left) and Daniel Hughey (right). Pictured with the students is A.C. Flora Principal Susan Childs (center).